The Perfect Fit
by aswiftlytiltingreality
Summary: Ridley isn't your ordinary girl and the sons aren't the only ones who notice. OC heavy fic. Rated M bad language, sexual content, and abuse and some other stuff.
1. Thunderstruck

**I own nothing**

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Ridley stood out side the large building, cigarette between her lips. She stared up at it with a depressed expression. Spenser Academy. Why her school was being forced to house some of their students there while they were tearing out the asbestos (something they should have done a couple decades back, in her opinion) was beyond her. She had Ipswich rich kids. They were such bitches and pricks. She shoved her choppy, brown hair out of her face and took another drag of her cigarette.

The sound of ACDC's "Back in Black" blaring caused her to turn towards the parking lot. A familiar beat up 1990 Camaro skidded to a halt in one of the faculty parking spaces and she smiled as she approached it. A tall, pale, skinny, boy with long spiky black hair carrying a maroon electric guitar emerged, a lit cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Hey Burko," she said, placing a hand on her hip. He smiled at her and leaned back against his car. "Hey Rid," he greeted before looking back at the large brick and stone building. "I can't believe we have to go here for the next year."

She nodded and glanced back at the building. "Well at least we don't have to wear their stupid uniforms."

"Yeah," he laughed, flicking his cigarette butt at the ground as he started towards the building. As they neared the building, an middle aged man with thinning hair and glasses approached them. "Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Several Spenser students stopped to watch as the man, who was obviously upset hurried towards them.

"How old are you?" he asked, obviously winded from chasing after them. Ridley blew a big plume of smoke in his face, causing him to sputter and cough before saying coyly, "Old enough." Burko chuckled beside her.

"I'll have you know, there is no smoking on this campus," he snapped, jabbing his finger in her face. She smiled and began adjusting his tie. "Relax. I promise I won't smoke when you're around ever again."

She threw down her cigarette and pulled on her fingerless black gloves before pulling her drumsticks out of her back pocket. Burko threw down his cigarette as well and they both turned away from the outraged man and walked straight into the building.

Reid and Tyler had never seen anything like them. They were……loud, vulgar, and they didn't give a shit. There had been three sitting in class when they got there. Two boys and one girl and they had their feet propped up on the desks. One was flicking his lighter on and off, while the other was picking at a fresh tattoo on his arm. The girl, who Reid and Tyler both noted was fairly attractive was picking at her nails. She looked up at the doorway and her face broke out in a broad smile. "Rid! Burko!"

"Hey!" drawled the one who had been flicking his lighter. The boy, pointed at his friend and smiled. "Oh shit!"

The girl smiled the smile of a Cheshire cat as she twirled the drumsticks in her hands and the two of them sauntered over. "Ridley Scott, woman of my most primal sexual fantasies," said one boy leaning forward, "where have you been all fall break?"

She jerked his chin back and forth and he bit down on her thumb causing her to slap him playfully. "Bartending, Brett, like I fucking told you I would be. I got fired though."

"Why," asked the girl as Burko sat down next to her. Ridley shrugged. "Apparently you're not supposed to drink while on the job."

"Ya think?" the girl asked rhetorically, and Ridley smiled. "What'd you do all break, Lila?"

"What I do best," she replied with a wicked grin. "Eww," said one of the girls seated behind them and Ridley glared at her. "Hey, Marcia Brady, why don't you shut the fuck up and cross your legs? You're starting to stink up the place."

Just then she spotted Reid and Tyler staring at her with shocked expression and she smirked at them before winking and blowing them a kiss. Tyler turned beat red and sat down quickly, averting his gaze. Reid, however, continued to stare. That girl had balls. Nobody talked to Kira Snider like that and got away with it. "Hey," said the one who had been picking at his tattoo, "you here they shut down Jones' party last night? Means we need a new spot."

"I hear the fuckers around here like to party at some place called the Dells," Lila said as she filled her nails. Brett leaned forward. "Maybe we should take over."

"Rid, you're in charge of booze. Brett, put the call out. Davis, you're DJ," Lila said. "Hey," Burko snapped, holding up his guitar. Lila rolled her eyes. "I didn't think you'd want to play. Especially, at the first party we have out here. Besides, Rid and I need to work the field and that means she can't be on stage." Lila looked around the room as all the students settled into their seats uncomfortably, eyeing the five of them with caution and curiosity. Lila brushed her long blonde hair away from her shoulders and eyed Reid and Tyler lustfully. Ridley sat down next to the boy named Brett and immediately fell asleep.

The professor entered the room and seeing Ridley with her head down, approached quietly. He slammed his briefcase down next to her, causing her to jump up.

She glared at him. "Oh, god, it's you."

"Why, hello again," he said smiling in what she believed to be a very sadistic way. "I'm Professor Yarborough, and you must be the kids from the Boston Public."

"How astute of you," Ridley said sarcastically, causing Professor Yarborough's triumphant smirk to dissipate. Deciding against responding he simply walked back to the front of the class. "You miss, have just earned yourself your first detention."

Ridley gave him a thumbs up and rested her head back on her folded arms.

"That girl is bigger ass than you are," Tyler whispered to him, amusement in his voice as he stared at her. Reid frowned. "Please don't tell me you have a crush on her?"

Tyler huffed. "What? She's hott."

"Mr. Garwin and Mr. Simms, so sorry to have interrupted your private conversation," Professor Yarborough called to them. Reid shrugged and gave him a winning smile. "You know, you'd think you'd learn after the first couple of times, but….." he said, trailing off and Professor Yarborough glared at him. "You, Mr. Garwin, may join Miss Scott in detention this afternoon."

Reid looked down at Ridley, who was staring up at him in amusement and grinned wolfishly. "Looking forward to it."

Tyler glared at his friend and Reid shrugged as if to say he couldn't help it. Though in truth, he could. He just enjoyed being the first to get the girl.

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Ridley stared up at the clock in the library for the fifth time in the past minute and drummed on the sole of her shoe impatiently. The blonde boy had done nothing but stare at her outright for the past half hour and it was slowly driving her crazy.

"Can I help you," she hissed finally. He shrugged at her, grinning. She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Stupid, prick," she muttered. When he didn't stop staring, she leveled her eyes at him again. "Seriously, can I fucking help you?"

He leaned, forward, the front legs of his chair landing with a thud and he smiled at hi wolfishly. Ridley had to admit, he was most definitely gorgeous. No wonder girls in this school spoke of him in reverent tones. He tapped his chin as if thinking. "Well, we haven't been introduced properly, so let's start with that before we figure out just how exactly you can help me." He stuck out his hand, which similarly gloved. "I'm Reid."

She didn't bother shaking his hand but instead eyed him up and down as she twirled her drumsticks. "Ridley Jane Scott."

"Well, baby, I think I love you," he said smoothly, causing her to burst into laughter. "Well, Baby, I've heard better pick up lines," she returned as she stood to leave. Reid looked at the library attendant who was waving them out of the library wildly. When he looked back, Ridley was already out the library door. Reid must have jumped over several chair and tables to get to the door and he couldn't figure out why he still wanted to talk to a girl who had clearly shot him down.

"Hey, Scott," he yelled bursting through the big wooden doors. She merely slowed her pace and Reid fell into step with her. "So this party you're having tonight…….."

"You can come," she said, and he grinned. "That's not what I'm asking."

"No, I won't go with you. I don't date, Sweetheart, and frankly, you're not my type," she said smiling a half apologetic smile. Reid stopped dead in his tracks and watched her disappear down the hall.

"But I'm everybody's type," Reid muttered to himself. And this just had to be true. Reid stared after her a grin slowly appearing on his face. He was definitely her type. She just didn't know it yet.

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**There you have it. Please tell me what you think so I know whether or not to go on.**


	2. Living in Beverly Hills

**I own nothing. The beginning of this chapter is more entertaining if you actually listen to "Beverly Hills" by Weezer. while reading it.  
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"Hey," someone called from behind her and she turned to see Reid's brunette friend. She smiled. Now this was more her type. She loved the shy ones. "Hey."

"I'm Tyler," he said sticking out his hand. This time, she shook it. "I'm Ridley."

He nodded and looked back down at the ground. Boy was he ever shy. She smiled wider. "So, me and my friends are having a party. Wanna come?" she asked, grinning at him in a way that made him think of Reid. She was like his female counterpart, but he really liked it. Before he could say anything she said, "I'm going to get the booze if you'd like to come with me."

Did he ever want to. He shook his head and she looked disappointed. "I have to take Reid home. His truck broke down." He glanced down at the tires of her car. "And it looks like you could use a ride, too."

She followed his gaze and noticed that all four tires on her sky blue Volvo were flat. "Fuck," she sighed, and smiled at him. "If you don't mind that and a booze run or two."

"No problem, just have to wait on Reid," he said, leading her to a large black Hummer.

When Reid finally emerged, he was shocked to find Ridley sitting in the passenger seat, carrying on with Tyler animatedly.

"Hey, Romeo," she said smoothly, taking a drag off a cigarette. Reid's shock only grew. Tyler loved his Hummer. He never allowed Reid to smoke in it. Sensing his turmoil, Ridley stuck a cigarette into his mouth and lit it, winking at him when he only stared at her.

"Hey," he muttered, climbing into the backseat. Tyler turned his attention back to Ridley who was fiddling with radio with a determined expression. "So where to first?"

"Gotta stop by Burko's and get some money because my ass is broke," she said. Reid raised an eyebrow. "You not get an allowance or something?"

She tensed for a moment and Reid felt as if he had just hit on something not right with her home life. She smiled at him. "My parents don't believe in allowances among other things."

Weezer came on the radio and she bounced up and down, turning it up. "I like this song," Tyler said, more to himself than anyone else.

Reid groaned when Ridley and Tyler both began singing along a little too loudly for his liking.

"Where I come from isn't all that great. My automobile is a piece of crap. My fashion sense is a little whack and my friends are just a screwy as me!" they both yelled. Reid slumped in his seat and Ridley turned, mussing his hair. Reid grabbed her wrist firmly. "Nobody touches my hair but me." Ridley rolled her eyes. "What about the girls that pull it when you're having sex with them?"

He smiled lazily at her. "That's different. I mean if you really want to touch I suppose we could……"

Ridley made a sort of gagging noise and Tyler laughed as they both went back to singing along to the song and Reid became even more perturbed when he found himself singing along as well.

By the time they reached The Dells that night; they had sung every song on the radio thus far, as loudly as possible. Ridley's outgoing behavior was contagious. The grungy boy named Davis had already set up his turn tables and was thumbing through records as Burko and Brett poured lighter fluid into each bon fire. Lila was busy talking to some blond boy Reid and Tyler barely knew. Ridley disappeared without warning and when came back she was dressed in completely different clothing. She was wearing the shortest leather skirt either of them had ever seen on a girl and a tight corseted top. She also didn't have any shoes on. They guided her rather proudly towards Caleb, Pogue, Sarah and Kate. Caleb's eyebrow rose and Pogue eyed her hungrily, while Kate and Sarah eyed her distrustfully, but Ridley didn't seem to notice. She shook each of their hand and busied herself applying her lip gloss. "So," Kate began in her probing voice that Reid knew all too well, "do you have a boyfriend?"

"Well," Ridley said smiling, "I could lie and say I'm looking for Mister Right, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't exist. So, no I don't have a boyfriend."

Kate nodded crisply and Ridley turned her attention back to the crowd her eyes searching for someone. Her eyes landed on Lila who was writhing with the rest of the crowd to Kanye West's "Stronger" and quickly joined her, unaware of the two pairs of blue eyes that followed her. Burko, with his ever present guitar approached the two of them and looked them up and down. "Sup fellas?" he asked. They nodded at him and he glanced back at Ridley. "Look, Ridley's like my sister. I love the girl to death, but she's got problems, so just don't get to attached to her or anything."

He didn't wait for them to reply but headed off towards the turntables. Reid flipped Burko off, though Burko's back was turned and wander over to Ridley. "Hey," he called over the music. She smiled up at him. "Hey."

Reid felt an arm snaked around him and found Lila staring up at him with lust filled eyes. "Hey there," she said and Ridley rolled her eyes, walking off. Burko tapped her shoulder and handed her a cell phone. A troubled look came over her face as she walked off down the shore.

Three hours later, Ridley hadn't come back and Tyler had begun to worry. Reid didn't understand why his friend felt so responsible. She wasn't his girlfriend so it didn't really matter what happened to her. When they did finally find her, she was sitting on the edge of the bluff with her leg dangling over the side. There was a more than half empty bottle of Tvarsky's vodka sitting next to her. Burko pushed past the two and picked her up. He gave her a wry grin and said, "Guess you're staying at my place for a while."

She laughed and chugged down the rest of the bottle before throwing it over the cliff.

* * *

The next day at school, Ridley was surprisingly quiet and Tyler couldn't tell if it was because she was hung over or something else was troubling her. Ridley avoided almost everyone for most of the day, when she came outside, Reid was leaning against her Volvo. She rolled her eyes and muttered a few curses under her breath. "What do you want, Garwin?"

"Wanted to see if you needed a ride home," he said gesturing towards a black jeep Cherokee. She snorted. "I would've thought you'd drive a nicer car, she said as she dumped her books in the backseat of her car. Reid smiled, "I do, but it's in the shop so I'm stuck with this."

"Well," she said finally, "I'm not going home. I'm going to some place called Nicky's to apply for a job."

Reid moved to his jeep and held the passenger side door open. "Well, then get in, my lovely."

Sensing he wouldn't take no for an answer, Ridley climbed in to his jeep. Reid smiled triumphantly at her and climbed into the driver's side, pulling out of the parking lot.

"So, why don't you date?" Reid asked, curious. She shrugged and continued to stare off at the trees. "What's the point?"

Reid nodded. He felt the same way sometimes, but only sometimes. "You don't like having a boyfriend or something?"

She shrugged again. "It's just that they always expect sex when you're in s seriously relationship with them and I'm just not ready for that yet."

Reid whipped his head around to look at her and when Ridley noticed he was staring in wide eyed shock she almost laughed. "Yeah, you heard me right, Garwin, I'm a virgin."

Reid crinkled his nose. "Why? Sex is awesome."

"To you maybe, but," she trailed off then said in a cryptic voice, "it's hard being a girl sometimes."

Reid frowned. "So, guys hit on you. Punch them in the nuts."

She smiled a small smile, "I do, but it doesn't always work." She turned to him. "Are you saying next time you hit on me I can hit you in the nuts?"

Reid grinned. "No."

She leaned back and grinned wickedly at him. "Pity."

He stuck two cigarettes in his mouth and lit them, passing one to Ridley as they pulled up to Nicky's and she got out. He waited patiently until she emerged with a large grin plastered on her face. "I start next week," she said smugly. Reid smiled. "Where to? Home?"

A shadow passed over her face and she shook her head. "No, I'm staying at Burko's."

"So, what's up with you guys?" Reid blurted before he could control himself, then added more coolly, "It's just weird how you two act around each other."

"We get each other," she smiled to herself, "I love him, but I'm not in love with him, if that makes sense. But we still have this insane emotional pull towards each other. Like he's there for me and I'm there for him."

"Sort of like brother and sister without the whole tormenting one another thing."

"Right," she said nodding.

Ridley told him to pull up next to a rickety old three story house with badly chipped whitewash paint and a half way collapsed fence. There were beer cans and various liquor bottles littering the creaky porch. Ridley led him into the house. There were half naked, sleeping bodies everywhere along with several beat up electric guitars and empty pizza boxes. Ridley seemed used to the sight of so many hung over people and head straight for the stairs, stopping at a door with a huge Van Halen poster plastered on it. She kicked open the door unceremoniously and Reid was able to make out two still forms in a full sized bed. Ridley punched Burko's foot. "Hey."

He groaned and when Reid's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness in the room, he realized Burko was laying in bed next to a very attractive brunette, who was clinging to his naked chest. Burko groaned and made as if to swat at Ridley who just rolled her eyes. She tugged at the covers slightly and the covers fell to their waists. The brunette turned over, her breasts bouncing and rubbed her eyes as she tried to focus on them. When she finally saw Ridley she leaned over to the nightstand and pulled a cigarette out of a pack of Lucky Strikes and lit it. She didn't even bother covering up and Ridley didn't seem bothered by the nudity.

"You kept him up again last night didn't you?" Ridley glared at her and the brunette shrugged. Ridley sighed. "You know I'm having a bad time of it, Candace."

Burko groaned. "Yes, we know."

He sat up and pointed at a pair of pants and Ridley threw them at him. Burko took the cigarette from Candace, earning him a glare and stood up. "We going by your place?"

"Yeah," she said bleakly. Burko finally noticed Reid standing next to her and frowned. "Is he coming, too?"

Ridley snorted indignantly. "Yeah, right!"

Reid opened his mouth to say something and Ridley shook her head. "Not this time, Blondie, you're going to have to sit this one out. We're not close enough for you to get to see inside my personal life."

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**R&R please and tell me what you think.**


	3. Change

**I won nothing. And for the last half of the story, I definitely recommend listening to the song mentioned. ** **The song is awesome, the situation...complicated.**

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Ridley was careful to tiptoe through the living room. Her mother was passed out on the couch in front of the television with a half empty bottle of brandy and three different bottles of prescription pills on the coffee table. She slowly crept up the stairs, followed by an equally quiet Burko. As soon as she reached her room, she began to gingerly shove clothes into various duffel bags, while Burko watched out the window.

"What time's he supposed to be coming back?"

Ridley didn't even look up as she continued to shove several pairs of jeans and jackets into an already bulging bag. "I don't know, my Mom just called me to tell me he'd be coming back soon. Could be today or tomorrow. All I know is I'm not going to be here."

She pulled a drawer out of her dresser and felt around in the back until she felt plastic and pulled out a big bundle of cash. Burko didn't reply, but instead continued to stare out the window silently.

She had just finished zipping up the final bag when Burko said quietly. "He's here."

Ridley stuffed the wad of cash into his pants and hauled three of the duffel bags over her shoulder while Burko grabbed the other two. They practically flew out the front door, just as the man in question turned off the engine to the badly rundown Cadillac and got out, staring them down. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Burko's," she replied, curtly, trying hard not to shake as she threw the bags into the back of Burko's car.

"I don't remember saying you could," he said, as he started towards her with a stormy expression. Burko stepped in front of him. "Well, she doesn't need to ask you, as far as I'm concerned."

He fell back a step and blinked, his hard black eyes becoming somewhat fearful. Burko was the only person her father had ever been afraid of and that was only because one night Burko had broken into the house and threatened to kill him if he didn't let her come with him. That didn't mean hell had frozen over of course. It just meant he had become more clever about it-hitting only where the bruises wouldn't show.

Ridley got into the car and waited for Burko, who flicked his cigarette in her father's face. "Now don't go and pull something stupid, Ted," Burko said, shoving him slightly, "because I'll know." Her father looked about ready to explode as Burko climbed into the car beside her and they drove off.

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She was a virgin. Ridley Jane Scott, the girl who had occupied ever single one of his dreams since the day he met her, was a virgin. Not only that, she didn't even like him. Reid stared up at the ceiling. It was 3 in the morning and he couldn't sleep. All he could think about was how Ridley had turned him down repeatedly. No girl had ever turned him down. And what was worse, was she seemed to like Tyler. _That_ bothered him. There had never been a girl who passed him over for Tyler. Then again, there had never really been a girl that both of them were interested in. Seeing the two of them sit together in lunch made him sick. He wasn't jealous. He had no need to be jealous. He was just confused. 

Resigned to the fact that he was not going to be able to sleep, Reid got dressed and grabbed his cigarettes. In a matter of minutes he was standing out back of the dorm. However he wasn't the only one taking a smoke break. Tony, the dorm's security guard and a very familiar brunette were sitting on the stoop of the back door. They both turned to look at him and then went back to smoking.

"Hey, Reid," Tony said, taking a long drag on his cigarette. Ridley merely waved up at him and went back to staring of into the distance.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, coming to stand directly in front of her. She shrugged. "I went for a walk and ended up here."

"Caught her trying to break into the dorm," Tony chimed in. Reid raised one fair eyebrow. "So you decided the best way to deal with someone who was breaking and entering, not to mention trespassing was to share a cigarette with them."

Ridley rolled her eyes and held up a pack of Camels. "I brought my own."

Tony chuckled. "She didn't look like she would harm anybody."

Reid looked back down at the small girl before him and she batted her eyes at him innocently. "I was just coming to see if you and Tyler wanted to do something."

"Sure." She jumped. The three of them hadn't even noticed Tyler as he had opened the door. He rubbed his eyes. "I can't sleep. I have too much on my mind."

"What about curfew," Reid asked lamely. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with both of them. He just didn't want to spend time with the both of them at the same time. Tony stood and smiled mischievously. "I didn't see anything."

In a matter of minutes, the three of them were in Reid's jeep. They stopped off at Burko's and picked up Lila, who had called Ridley a couple minutes after they had left Spenser and drove up to the Dells. The sound of the water crashing onto the shore was calming and both girls ran in circles through the shoreline. Lila proposed to skinny dipping, to which Reid readily agreed. However both Tyler and Ridley opted to keep their underwear on. The group had done nothing but splash and dunk one another for several hours until the sun came up. Ridley and Tyler lay out in the sand watching the sun steadily rise.

"This is really pretty," Ridley sighed, "I haven't watched a sunrise since I was little."

Tyler nodded and was about to reply when he noticed that both Reid and Lila were missing. He chose to keep that detail to himself, fearing he would spoil the moment.

Ridley glanced back at the trees surrounding them and sighed. "You know, sometimes I wish I could be like her; Immune to heartache."

"Why," Tyler asked, "having your heart broken may suck, but it just wouldn't make the risk a sweet if you knew that when it didn't work out you'd be okay."

"I suppose you're right," she mused and jumped slightly when Tyler covered her hand with his. Ridley couldn't bring herself to pull away. There was something about him that felt so safe, so sincere. Ridley liked that feeling. She liked it a lot.

* * *

Work at Nicky's was fun. Her friends had come to support her on her first night, as had Tyler and Reid. The tips were amazing. By the end of the night she had roughly three hundred in tips. Some of the bills had phone numbers jotted down on them. Ridley had just finished her shift when a surprisingly smug young man slid up to her as she was placing a pitcher of beer on the table for all of her friends. She noticed both Reid and Tyler narrow their eyes. Apparently, this guy was not one of their favorites.

"What's it take for a guy to get some of what you got?" he asked, obviously convinced that the line he had just fed her was brilliant. Ridley turned on him with bored eyes. "What's your name?"

"Aaron," he replied, his smug grin growing. She nodded and leaned closer. "Well, Aaron, unless your cock can cure cancer, it's not going anywhere near-"

He stepped closer, placing a hand on her hip, "you sure, doll because-"

"She's not interested, Abbott," Reid spat, standing up. The bar suddenly became deathly silent. Reid shoved him slightly. "So, you can just run back over to your friends-"

Aaron snickered. "Don't tell me Garwin's got a crush!"

Several people around him, presumably Aaron's friends, began to laugh, egging him on and Aaron continued, "What she's got? Magic-"

Aaron didn't get to finish his sentence because Reid had landed a strong blow to his jaw sending him staggering into his friends. He pushed past Aaron and out of Nicky's, leaving everyone in the bar in stunned silence. Ridley ran after him. "Hey!"

He didn't stop, but instead, continued to stagger down the road. "Hey," she yelled again, finally catching up to him. She grabbed a hold of his jacket. "Where are you going?"

"Home," he snapped, as he continued to walk. Ridley tripped after him. "But didn't Tyler drive you?"

He didn't answer and continued to walk. Ridley jerked on his jacket sleeve again and when he spun around, stopping, she nearly collided into him. She frowned when she noticed his hand was bleeding. "Come on. I'll take you home."

Once in her car, Reid spoke. "I don't want to go home. Caleb will just ream me for getting into another fight."

"Well, for what it's worth," she said, glancing at him, "thanks for sticking up for me."

Reid only grunted at her and remained silent the rest of the way to Burko's. As before, people littered the living room, but this time they were awake-many of them partially naked and clawing at one another. Ridley didn't give them a second look as she pulled Reid into the kitchen and put his hand under the cold water. Reid simply stared at his bloody knuckles. "Is it always like this here?"

Ridley poked her head out from behind the freezer door. "Yeah, Burko has always had a house full of people."

She handed him a bag of ice wrapped in a washcloth. Ridley pulled Reid up the stairs and pointed to a door not far away from the one she stopped at. "You can stay in there. If anyone's in there, kick them out." She jerked her finger in the direction of the door next to the one she was standing at. "That's the bathroom."

She smiled up at him. "Night, Reid."

Reid just stood next to her door, unsure of what to do. He wasn't tired and he certainly didn't want to walk in on anything in the room she had told him to take. He could hear music blaring from inside her room. Deftones "Change (In the House of Flies)" was causing the house to vibrate wildly. He pushed her door open slightly to ask her if there were any other rooms he could sleep in and felt all the breath still in his chest. Ridley had already removed her top and was in the process of removing her boots and fishnets. Feeling his eyes on her Ridley turned around. She didn't look embarrassed, only confused. Reid faintly heard the bag of ice as it rolled out of his hand and crashed to the floor and he could feel his legs carrying him towards her, but he couldn't stop. He yanked her to him, crushing his lips against hers and burying his hand in her thick dark hair. Ridley couldn't move her shock at the situation too intense. When she finally did move to push him away, she found herself pulling him closer, grabbing at him. _No, no. Stop, Ridley, STOP!_ She finally pushed him away, both of them breathing raggedly. Reid's eyes were an intense shade of black and he held her gaze in an equally intense way. Ridley flung herself at him, slamming him into the door as she covered his mouth with hers. Reid slammed her up against the wall adjacent to them and her muscles screamed in pain. It felt good, and Ridley couldn't stop herself from ripping his jacket off of him and pulled at his shirt. Reid broke away for only a second as he pulled the shirt off over his head. Cool air brushed up against her skin as her skirt fell to the floor and Ridley could feel herself pulling at his belt buckle. Her mind was screaming at her to stop, but she couldn't bring herself to. It felt so wrong, but she didn't want it to end. She bit at his lower lip roughly and he moaned into her as he flicked her bra open with ease. He was definitely a pro. Again, the tiny voice in Ridley's head told her to stop, that she was turning into one of his many conquests, and she kissed him harder to silence it.

Oh god, did it ever hurt, but it hurt so good. Ridley raked her nails against his back and bit his shoulder to keep from cry out. _Was he always so rough_, she wondered. Ridley wouldn't complain. She was being just as rough as him and she liked the way it felt. He felt dangerous, unstable and she was sure he was trying very hard not to be as rough as he wanted. Ridley heard herself gasping and Reid's eyes widened only for a moment as he looked at her. His became even darker for a moment and she felt as if she were about to die from pleasure just from looking at him let alone the way he was making her body shudder. He fell forward groaning into her neck and went still.

Ridley pulled herself away from him, untangling her legs from his as the full realization of what she had just done hit her. She felt cold and confused. _It wasn't supposed to happen like this_, she thought her eyes burning with tears, _not with someone like him._

Ridley felt his eyes on her once more and turned back to see him staring at her with clear blue eyes. His expression was blank though his eyes held so many unanswered questions. She rolled over toward him, staring back. She couldn't bring herself to say anything and Reid didn't try to force her to. When he woke up the next morning, she was gone.

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**Told you things were getting complicated. R&R if you wish.**


	4. In My Place

**I own nothing. **

* * *

Tyler couldn't figure out why Ridley was avoiding him. Really, he couldn't figure out why she was avoiding everyone, but she was a complicated person. He chalked it up to her being pissed that Reid had started a fight a Nicky's and she had had to look after his stupid ass. Tyler decided it was best to give her some space and not let the fact that she was avoiding him get to him. But it was getting to him. _Big time_. And Reid's attitude was driving him insane. Reid had managed to make four freshman girls cry and three boys on the chess team practically pee their pants. Of course Reid was a prick at times, but never this bad. His mood seemed to darken even more when fifth period rolled around: Music Appreciation. Tyler liked Music Appreciation. The professor had insane ADD and more importantly, Ridley was there.

They could hear a pulsating beat emanating from the room and when they finally reached the doorway, Lila and Ridley were busying themselves trying to teach Kate and Sarah to two-step. The Professor, Mrs. Magyar, was busy reading one of her many magazines, something she did at least once a week. The fact that the music was causing the walls to shake didn't bother. Davis, his long floppy blond hair falling into his face was sea walking across the room. Sarah, after failing miserably at figuring out the rhythm several times, sat back down next to Caleb who was watching amusement as Davis helped Pogue sea walk.

Reid settled down in a seat in the far back, crossing his arms. Tyler rolled his eyes and went down to join the others who greeted him warmly. Kate grinned at Ridley. "So do you guys make up routines?"

"Yeah," Brett blurted, causing Lila to yank on his dark curly hair.

"Show them the Kanye West one!" Davis yelled. Ridley and Lila both turned bright red and yelled at him, "No!"

The two ignored Kate's pleading and continued to dance, completely in sync though they improvised each move.

Ridley switched the song and sang along with it, "If you having girl problems I feel bad for you son. I got ninety-nine problems but a bitch ain't one!"

She sat down behind the drum set in the corner and began to beat out the beat perfectly with the song. Reid loved that song, but he couldn't bring himself out of his slump. It had really bothered him to wake up with her not next to him. Especially since he had been the one to…..Reid shook his head and sighed before joining the others. Tyler and Caleb clapped him on the shoulder and he saw Ridley glance up at him for only a split second. Lila danced up on him and he noticed Ridley tense up visibly before beating even harder on the drums.

"So, I had fun the other day in the woods," Lila whispered in his ear, "how about you?"

"Awesome," Reid muttered as he sat down. Lila frowned and moved away, her brown eyes clouded over. Reid couldn't even bring himself to care. He had simply messed around with her to get his mind off of Ridley and it hadn't worked.

When "London Bridges" came on over the radio, Ridley became even more tense. She could feel Reid sneaking peeks of her every few seconds when he though no on was looking. Lila pulled her away from the drums to dance and Ridley could only move half heartedly. He was practically burning holes in her with his gaze. Tyler was just as bad. She had made a mess of things yet again.

She walked to the door yelling over her shoulder. "Mrs. Magyar, bathroom!"

The teacher didn't even look up and Ridley sped off down the hall way and skidded into the bathroom where she turned on the faucet to one of the sinks and splashed the cool water on her face. She couldn't take it, she seriously couldn't stand it. Her life complicated enough as it was without two boys fighting over her. Two boys who happened to be best friends. She was fucking things up faster than ever. And last night….Ridley shook her head. She would just have to forget about it. Forget about both of them and move on. She groaned in frustration as she pushed open the bathroom door and began to trudge down the hallway back towards the classroom. She stopped after a second. Did she really want to go back to class and have to deal with both Tyler and Reid gawking at her? No, no she did not. She was about to turn back around to go hide in one of the bathroom stalls when a hand shot out of the janitor's closet, yanking her inside and shutting the door. Before she could yell out her surprise, two very familiar, kissable lips silenced her and she pulled away roughly.

"Reid Garwin-" she started, but he persisted and Ridley couldn't help but give in. His kisses were simply amazing. She shoved him away again. "What the hell do you think you're doing," she cried having struggled out of her daze successfully. She heard him sigh angrily. "What? I'm kissing you." He started towards her again and she pushed him back again. "I am not going to do this. I just- I can't."

"If this is about last night, you wanted it just as badly as I did," he snapped. Ridley was glad it was completely dark in the closet or else he would have seen her turn ten different shades of red. "I-I-I-so, doesn't mean it was right," she said finally and he was silent for a very long time. Ridley had the feeling she had just hurt him in some way. "Look, I'm sorry it wasn't special or whatever," he growled and Ridley knew it was his way for apologizing to her. He inhaled deeply and continued his voice still husky from their kiss, "It's just that. I still find myself extremely attracted to you and-"

Ridley didn't give him a chance she was, too busy kissing him again. She pulled away abruptly. "What about Tyler?"

"Huh," Reid asked dumbly. She sighed heavily. "He likes me and I can't. I can't rub it in his face that I'm-I shouldn't even be doing this. I have standards you know!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Reid cried, "Are you saying I'm not good enough?!"

"No, I'm saying _this_ isn't good enough," she hissed, "I don't do this. This is not something I want to get myself wrapped up in-"

Reid yanked her out of the closet and down the hallway. She tried to pry his hand from her wrist but his grip was too strong. "Reid, this is kidnapping-"

"No, because I fully plan on returning you," he snapped over his shoulder as he pulled her out the front doors and over to his jeep.

"This is stupid-you're stupid, Garwin," she howled, as he nudged open the passenger door to his jeep and dumped her into the seat, "I'm not going to change my mind just because you're going to take me on some stupid joyride!"

"Yes, you are," he argued back, kissing her solidly on the mouth, "now sit down and _shut up_."

She scowled at him, growling and turned forward crossing her arms as he skidded out of the parking lot. Ridley refused to look at him and her anger soon began to dissolve when she noticed how beautiful the trees surrounding them were. They drove on for several more minutes until Reid turned off on a semi hidden path and stopped the car. He came around to her side and pulled her out of the car. He pushed her through several feet of underbrush until they came upon a little path, one she assumed was used by deer.

"I got lost one night and accidentally found this place," he said, glancing back at her, "I don't think anyone knows about it."

She heard that faint running of water and quickened her pace, her curiosity getting the best of her. Reid stopped suddenly and she peered over his shoulder. There was a large pool of water with a rock over hang and several of the nearby streams ran off into it. It was surrounded by large trees and Ridley stepped forward. "Wow."

"I come here to think," Reid said. He looked down at the ground. "I've been coming here a lot lately."

"Why?" she asked, nudging her shoes off and removing her socks. Reid only shrugged.

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. "I can't hurt Tyler, Reid. I just can't. You can't either, you're his best friend."

"I know," Reid sat down on a nearby boulder, he looked up at her with sad eyes, "but I can't just-I can't not think about this, Ridley, I just can't."

"I like fooling around with you as much as you like fooling around with me, Reid, but I can't do it if it means hurting innocent people," Ridley insisted. Reid hung his head.

"Well, then let's just not tell anyone." He felt a hand on his cheek. "Oh, Reid."

He looked up at her. Ridley was looking down at him tenderly. "Why do you want this so much?"

He jerked away from her. "I don't want it that bad."

Ridley pursed her lips and looked away. "Well, I suppose if we only meet here every now and then-"

She didn't have a chance to finish because Reid had jumped on her, cupping her face in his hands as he kissed her gently. _Since was he ever gentle?_ She thought to herself. But her thought clouded over as she felt his hands roam over her body.

Afterwards they had gone swimming and Reid seemed happy, truly happy and she had never noticed until then how sad he was. He was such a different person when they were together alone. The way Burko had been when they were little and his mother had left him and his father. Where Reid was honest and full of laughter, Burko had been angry and full of confusion. Both of them opened up to her and she couldn't help but open up to both of them. There was something different with her connection to Reid. It was unspoken it was like the connection between the moon and the sea, something that was just there.

Ridley wrapped her arms around Reid's neck as they floated in the water aimlessly and felt something begin to ache inside her. It was something she had never felt and it was something scary. Ridley knew if Reid were to ever find out…..

"I have to get back for swim practice soon," Reid said, his voice tinged in sadness. Ridley wrapped her legs around his waist and frowned into the crook of his neck. "No."

"I promise to meet you here tomorrow after swim practice," he laughed. Ridley's frown deepened. "Sure."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Rid. I promise. Right here at 4:30."

She sighed and let go of him, following him out of the water. "We should bring towels," she muttered and he laughed kissing her.

* * *

The boys had been giving him funny looks all practice and not just Caleb, Tyler, and Pogue, but the entire swim team and he hadn't understood why until the coach had yelled at him "Hey, Garwin, what the hell happened to your back? Get mauled by a wolverine?" _Ridley_, he thought, silently cursing her. He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. He had enjoyed every minute of it. He turned casually to his coach. "No, some hot blond chick I picked up the other night while at a friends house."

The coach simply rolled his eyes and Tyler stared at him skeptically. "What was her name," Tyler asked. "Bridgette, Brittany, Brandy, Bambi…..something like that."

He paused for a moment before adding thoughtfully. "It could've been Susan."

Pogue frowned. "That doesn't even start with a B."

Reid shrugged. "I wasn't really interested in her name. I was more interested in the way-"

"Yeah, okay, we get it," Caleb interrupted while Tyler made a mock gagging sound.

Reid smiled proudly. He had always been a good liar.

"Wonder what's up with Ridley," Tyler mused aloud to him, "she was acting funny all day." He cut his eyes to Reid. "You didn't try anything did you?"

Reid rolled his eyes. "She's not my type."

"Uh, yeah, she is, she's everyone's type," Pogue admitted and Caleb nodded. Reid frowned. "No, she's a virgin." _Was,_ he thought afterwards. "Oh," Tyler said, as if he finally understood. Caleb didn't seem to buy it. He was staring at Reid with penetrating eyes and he tried hard not to pretend he didn't notice. Ever since Caleb had ascended, he had been able to catch glimpses of what people were thinking and Reid had the distinct feeling Caleb had done that with him just then. Caleb didn't say anything, but wandered off towards the locker room with Pogue.

When practice let out Reid found Burko leaning against his jeep. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath and tried to ignore Tyler's questioning gaze. Tyler wandered off towards his Hummer and Reid turned to Burko. "What do you want man?"

"Look I know what's going on," he said, "and I'm not going to stop you, but it'd probably be best if you did." Without waiting for Reid to respond, he pushed off of his jeep and started over to his own car.


	5. Broken

**I own nothing. Also, if you have an aversion to abuse, don't read. **

* * *

All the sneaking around made Ridley feel dirty. Whenever she looked into Tyler's eyes she could feel the bile rise in her throat. Just knowing what she was doing made her sick. Tyler was too shy to ever say anything about how he felt about her, but Tyler was also the guy who wore his heart on his sleeve and Ridley couldn't help but admit she did care about him. He paid more attention to her than Reid ever would and he listened to her. Sometimes she was sure he could read her like a book the way he picked up on her every emotions just by looking at her-something Reid so far hadn't been able to do and Ridley wished so badly that they could be just one person. Ridley hated herself more and more each day for being with Reid, not only for what would happen when Tyler found out, but for the feelings she had. She was in way over head and she had no way of getting out.

To make matters worse, Caleb had begun to ask questions. Reid was always quick enough to come up with some explanation as to where he was and Caleb always took it as a given that Ridley was at Burko's house. Or so the two of them thought, until one day at the pond they heard car doors slamming not far off and three very familiar male voices. Reid had grabbed her and something had flashed in his eyes, before they turned completely black and suddenly she was standing wet and naked in the middle of her room with her clothes in a pile at her feet. Ridley could only stare at her toes in quiet confusion. _What the hell had just happened?_ By the time she had finished that thought, she was back at the pond and Reid was staring at her nervously.

"Huh," she said as she dried herself off with a towel, "That was different."

Reid bit his lip. "Ridley, I need to tell you-"

She waved him off. "There are a lot of things we don't know about each other and it's not like we're in a committed relationship, so you don't need to elaborate on whatever that was. I promise, I won't tell."

He didn't argue with her and she could feel herself becoming angry. Not over him arguing with her about not wanting to know, but about their status as a couple. She knew she shouldn't have been angry about it because she had agreed to it, but she couldn't take it anymore. It was eating at her. Ridley began to throw on her clothes quickly.

"Ridley?" he asked, reaching out to her and she pulled away. "I can't do this anymore, Reid! I know I said I could, but I just can't."

She started down the path and Reid soon caught up with her. "Why not?"

Ridley refused to look at him as she pushed her wet hair out of her face roughly.

"Ridley," he growled, grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her to face him, "_why not?!_"

She shoved him hard in the chest, causing him to stagger back. "Because I'm in love with you!"

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she couldn't stop talking. "I cannot and I will not be one of those girls that just takes whatever she can get from you knowing she'll never get anything in return. I refuse to bring myself any lower than I am. I get that I'm that girl to you, but I'm going to be anymore."

Reid just stared at her with hard eyes as she turned to walk away. Ridley felt as if her insides were burning and ripping apart. Her eyes clouded over as the tears spilled down her cheeks and she walked until she reached the road. When she got there, Caleb was leaning against his car.

He opened the door to the passenger side of the car and she got in silently. After a few moments of silence she said in a broken voice. "Don't tell anybody."

"Nobody should have secrets, Ridley," Caleb replied and she smiled bitterly to herself. "Sometimes I think keeping secrets keeps me sane."

Caleb looked at her quizzically and she turned to stare out the window.

"I promise I won't tell," he said finally and she smiled at him gratefully.

* * *

Ridley had never skipped so much school in her life. Then again, she had never had a reason to, but she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Reid and so spent most of her time in the auditorium playing the instruments that had been set up for people to use of the upcoming talent show. It was because of this that Mrs. Magyar had had the brilliant idea of signing her up for the talent show. Ridley had always been good at writing her own songs, but that didn't mean she wanted people to hear them. Luckily Brett had agreed to play drums while she played piano so she would be so alone in the whole thing. Even luckier, the talent show wasn't for six more months. Spenser wanted their students prepared apparently. Her privacy was further invaded when Mrs. Magyar began having class in the auditorium.

A week after she broke things off with Reid, Ridley noticed something that almost made her anger boil over. Reid had his arm around Lila. No big deal, until they kissed. Ridley found herself seeing red. He was messing with her. She could see it in his face. The way his eyes seemed to burn with amusement whenever he caught her watching them was a clear indication that he just didn't give a damn about her. The proverbial arrow had been shot through her heart and she felt it was high time she pulled it out. Everything had become bitter tasting, colorless, emotionless.

Work was even worse. Reid made sure to come in every night she worked with Lila and flaunted it in her face ever chance he got. The fact that Lila was oblivious to what she was doing to her made the situation even harder to deal with. Ridley was at the bar after work when Lila approached her. "Hey, babe, how's it going?"

Ridley downed her second shot of vodka and continued to stare forward. "It's awesome."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ridley caught Caleb whisper something to Sarah and nod in her direction. Sarah frowned sympathetically. _So much for not telling anyone,_ she thought bitterly. Lila began to prattle on about her and Reid's plans for the night and Ridley ordered shot after shot, some vodka, and some tequila. Reid came over and kissed Lila and something inside Ridley snapped. She grabbed a stack of napkins next to her and began writing furiously with the sharpie she kept in her apron.

"What's all that?"

Ridley leveled her eyes at him and smirked maliciously. "I'll have you know, Garwin, that my pen is the barrel of a gun," With that she flicked one of the bar matchbooks at his chest and wandered over to the group. "I need a ride to school," she hiccupped and Burko raised an eyebrow. "I need to talk to the orchestra and I need to get Mrs. Magyar's number."

Brett's seemed to shoot all the way up to his hairline. "Who pissed you off? You look ready to kill."

Sarah glanced pointedly at Kate and then jerked her head in Reid's direction. Kate glared at Reid and rolled her eyes.

"You can do all that tomorrow," Burko assured her and she finally nodded. "I do still have a lot to write down."

Ridley had decided she wanted an entire set during the talent show, but Mrs. Magyar would only allow her three time slots, one before intermission and one after. The fact that they were having an intermission gave Ridley the impression that high school talent shows were a big deal at Spenser. Well, it was definitely going to be a big deal by the time she was done with it. Sarah and Kate had approached her in hopes of helping out and she assigned them spots as back up singers. Suddenly word was getting around; the Scott girl was calling out the school player and vengeful exes began to crawl out of the woodwork.

What amazed her most was the fact that Tyler wasn't as mad as she believed he would be. In fact he seemed to enjoy the idea of Reid being publicly humiliated and though everyone around him seemed clued in on this little coup, Reid himself was oblivious. Oh, how the mighty would fall. Ridley did admit to Tyler she felt terrible for what she was doing-that she wasn't the vengeful type, but she felt she had to. The final straw, the nail in the coffin was when Reid and Lila began to officially date. It was a huge slap in the face- two in all actuality; one from Reid and one from Lila, who didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was dating her best friend's ex-lover and that she was still in love with him.

* * *

The flashing lights of police cars were outside Burko's house when Ridley got home from work that night. Tyler had driven her home because her car had gotten another flat and both of them jumped out of the Hummer. Burko was being led out of the house in hands cuffs.

"Burko!" Ridley pushed past a police officer roughly. "What's going on?!"

"Are you Ridley Scott?" one of the police officers asked her. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she nodded. The officer grabbed her by the arm. "You're going to have to come with me."

"What," she cried, "why?"

"You're father reported you as a runaway earlier today-"

Ridley yanked her arm out of the officer's grip and glowered at him. "I did not run away. I told him where I was going-"

"You're underage and living here with out the supervision of an adult," the policeman said, and Ridley could feel her panic building as he guided her towards the back of one of the cars. "You're not going to make me go back are you?!"

"You belong at you parents' house," he replied woodenly and Burko yelled loudly, shoving down two of the policeman in the process, "No, you can't take her back there!"

Three more policemen grabbed on to him as he fought wildly to get to her. The police officer holding Ridley frowned at him. "There is no evidence of abuse, Mr. Burkowicz."

"The fuck there isn't," Burko snarled back as he pushed another to policemen to the ground, "you can't take her back!"

"Abuse," Tyler asked, in shock. The policemen didn't even look at him as he spoke. "You best stay away from these two. They're nothing but trouble."

"Tyler, do something," Burko yelled as he was being shoved into the backseat of one of the cars.

Tyler was frozen in place. He couldn't tear his eyes from Ridley who was shaking and sobbing hysterically."

He did the only thing he could think of: call Caleb.

* * *

Ridley's lip was bleeding and had been bleeding for several hours. Her entire body ached; she was sure that she had more than one cracked rib. She could barely walk. He had never gone this far before. She stared at the bottles of prescription drugs in her medicine cabinet. Loretab, Xanax, Prozac, Vicodin. Her mother could open a pharmacy. Ridley stuffed them in her oversized purse along with a large bottle of vodka. It was going to take her three hours to walk to school. If she wanted to get there before he woke up and came looking for her, she needed leave then. She climbed out her window and on to the awning silently and jumped off. She hit the ground running. 


	6. Half Jack

**I own nothing. The song in this story is "Half Jack" by The Dresden Dolls. They're freaking amazing.**

* * *

  
It was barely light out when Ridley reached Spenser's and she deftly picked the lock to the gym. Once inside, she stuffed her book bag in her locker and stared at the metal door for several minutes. She was shaking and had been shaking ever since the police had loaded her up in their car and taken her home. She needed a shower, she realized suddenly; a nice, cold shower. She turned on the water and sat down under it, rocking slowly back and forth. Hours later, she hadn't moved and everyone was too frightened to touch her. She was sobbing hysterically.

* * *

Burko stormed into first period like a bat out of hell. Tyler and Caleb had bailed him out early that morning, fearing that if they had bailed him out sooner, he would have gone straight for Ridley and caused more trouble.

"Have you seen Ridley," he asked of no one in particular. "Burko," Sarah called out from behind him. She whispered something frantically in his ear and Burko flung his electric guitar across the room, causing several people to jump up in panic.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked and Sarah broke down. "The janitor found Ridley in the locker room this morning just sitting there in her clothes in the shower and she won't move and she just keeps screaming and crying-"

Everyone was out the door in a matter of seconds.

Many of the girls in the locker room were crying in fear and others were too frozen in shock to do anything.

Reid heard one girl whisper in shock and pain, "Good, god look at her face."

Ridley," Burko said soothingly, "Ridley, baby." He reached out a hand and Ridley's arm shot up to grab him, pulling him against her.

"They made me go back, Burko," she sobbed, "They made me go back!"

Burko hugged her closer and she began to cry even harder as pulled away and stared down at herself, babbling. "I just can't seem to get clean. I can't get clean. I'm not clean."

Reid felt his stomach churn and several of the girls who were crying softly earlier began crying harder. She looked up at Burko with red rimmed, innocent eyes. "I don't understand why. What did I do? What did I do wrong to make him do this? What did I do?"

Burko held her hand and tried hard to keep from looking away from her. "You didn't do anything wrong, Ridley. You never do anything wrong."

"Then why won't he leave me alone," she screamed before breaking off into strangle sobs. "I just want to feel clean again. I just want to be away from here. I can't do this anymore, Burko, I can't do this anymore-I can't go through-"

"Hey, hey, look at me," he said cupping her face in both hands, forcing her to meet his gaze, "this isn't going to happen again. I'm taking care of this now. You hear me, Rid?"

She nodded and he asked softly, "You want a cigarette? I got your favorites-Camel menthols."

He held the pack out to her and she took a cigarette as did he. He lit both their cigarettes and picked her up, kicking open the locker room door. Nobody in the hallway stopped them, but Burko was highly aware of the crowd following them. Ridley shielded her eyes from the sunlight for only a moment. It was a beautiful day and Ridley felt a little bitter that the sunniest day this year was the same day she felt like throwing herself off of the buffs.

* * *

It was funny how no one asked her about it, not even the school faculty. But they all talked about it and Ridley was forced to hear the girls whisper to one another. The twisted stories they came up with were what got her. Though they were not nearly as twisted as what had really happened, they were pretty fantastical. Her favorite was the one about how she hadn't paid her pimp his share and so he beat the shit out of her. Ridley was pretty sure there were no pimps in Ipswich, but whatever. What bothered her the most was the staring. Her bottom lip was still twice its normal size and her left cheek was still somewhat purple, but it was still no excuse for people to stare at her long after she had made it clear she saw them staring.

She went about her business with the planning of the talent show, working harder than ever to keep her mind off of the past few days. The prescription pills she had nicked from her mother helped as did the half bottle of vodka in the morning and at night. Tyler and Burko were both riddled with guilt from being unable to prevent it from happening and that only served to make her feel worse.

"Do you have anything prepared to play for today," Mrs. Magyar asked, oblivious yet again to the goings on of the entire school. Ridley glared at her. "Sure."

She turned to Brett, "Get on drums and play what I gave you last night."

"Ridley," he began nervously. Her glare darkened as she spoke. "Do it."

Ridley sat down behind the piano and flexed her bruised fingers for several moments before starting up.

"_Half underwater  
I'm half my mother's daughter  
A fraction's left up to dispute  
The whole collection  
Half off the price they're asking  
In the halfway house of ill repute_

_Half accidental  
Half painful instrumental  
I have a lot to think about  
You think they're joking?  
You have to go provoke him...  
I guess it's high time you found out_

_It's half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong  
You'll notice something funny if you hang around here for too  
Long ago in some black hole before they had these pills to take it back  
I'm half Jill  
And half jack_

_Two halves are equal  
A cross between two evils  
It's not an enviable lot  
But if you listen  
You'll learn to hear the difference  
Between the halfs and the half nots_

_And when I let him in I feel my stitches getting sicker  
I try to wash him out but like they say the blood is thicker  
I see my mother in my face  
But only when I travel  
I run as fast as I can run  
But  
Jack comes tumbling after..._

_And when I'm brave enough and find a clever way to kick him out  
And I'm so high not even you and all your love could bring me down  
On 83rd he never found the magic words to change this fact:  
I'm half Jill  
And half jack_

_I'm halfway home now  
Half hoping  
For a showdown  
Cause I'm not big enough to house this crowd  
It might destroy me  
But I'd sacrifice my body  
If it meant I'd get the jack part _out

_See _

_Jack_

_Run..._

She didn't wait for Mrs. Magyar's response, but instead stood up and walked out of the room and headed out to Burko's car. He always hid his keys in the glove compartment and she took off in the Camaro without a second thought. It was pitch black and when Ridley realized all her alcohol was gone and she had nothing to wash her second batch of pills down with. She heard the crunching of feet on rocks and laughed cynically to herself. "Don't worry, I won't jump."

Tyler sat down next to her and hand her a full bottle of vodka. When she looked at him strangely he shrugged. "This way you won't be drinking alone."

Ridley snorted. "I'm always alone, Tyler. Always."

"No, you're not," Tyler sighed exasperatedly, "we've all got your back. Burko and Reid are off god knows where planning something stupid-"

"Reid," she laughed harder, "the only person he cares about is himself."

"That's only half true," Tyler said glumly, but didn't elaborate. Ridley stared off into the darkness. "I found a job for when I turn eighteen-far away from here. Someplace no one knows me."

She took a drag off her cigarette and stood up, looking over the edge. "There's no way I'm going home tonight."

"Stay at my place," he said and Ridley frowned. He shook his head, reading her thoughts. "Reid's not going to be there."

Tyler and Reid's room was messy just as she expected. Most boys were messy. Tyler let her sleep in his bed and he pulled a sleeping bag out of the closet.

"Hey, Tyler," she said quietly, "Thanks for letting me crash here."

"I love you, Ridley, so why would I even consider letting you go back home?"

Ridley couldn't respond. Tyler smiled at her sadly. "Just get some sleep."

He made space on the floor and went to sleep. Ridley stared at the back of his head until she was also asleep.


	7. Pieces

**I own nothing. This chapter will be relatively short because the next one is going to be ridiculously long. Sorry.**

* * *

Her father had disappeared and Ridley felt she could breathe again. Still, the bruises had faded, but the pain had not. Reid and Lila seemed so happy together and it tore at her. They looked perfect together, she had to admit it, but it still stung. The hurt turned to anger and that anger fueled her need to seek revenge. Reid was still in the dark, as was Lila it seemed.

The talent show had taken over every aspect of her life. At work, after her shift, she would sit at the bar, writing and rewriting lyrics. She spent lunches in the auditorium with the orchestra, listening to them perfect their playing and she would practice along side them. She never sang for fear of one of them telling Reid what she was planning.

Tyler always sat in, watching her play with a supportive smile. He didn't seem to mind that she couldn't give him what he wanted. She wasn't sure she could give anyone herself ever again. She felt that she really never had given anyone herself-not even Reid. She was in pieces and it would take a long time to put those back together, but she would because Burko and Tyler were there to help her when everyone else was off living their lives.

She was doing better, though. Things weren't perfect, but they were getting close to being perfect. She was becoming her own solid individual. She was no longer defined by her tryst with Reid, the beatings from her father, no longer thought of as the girl who hung out with Burko. She was Ridley Jane Scott. This new independence was refreshing.

People were beginning to talk again. But this time the talking was not malicious. It was the idle romantic gossip of girls who dreamed of true love in the form of one female high school delinquent and the youngest more sincere son of Ipswich. The talk was of course nothing more than talk, but Ridley could see the way people watched her and Tyler interact at school. What she didn't know they saw was the way Reid stared after her when she ran up to Tyler and not him. No one ever called him on it; he deserved it, after all. The expectations put forth upon her to date Tyler began to weigh heaviest whenever anyone would ask her where he was when they ran into her and she was beginning to think she was doing to him what Reid had done to her in a way. If she was going to fix it, she would need to talk to him.

She found Tyler sitting outside under his favorite tree on one of the tables behind the library, studying while he ate a slice of pizza. He started to smile when he noticed the serious expression on her face. She dropped down on the bench across from him, and picked at the table.

"I take it this is your way of initiating a talk," he half-joked, though his smile never reached his eyes. She nodded. "Tyler, I can't give you what you want. I can't just make myself feel that way when I'm still feeling that way about-"

He cut her off. "I don't expect you to. That wouldn't be very fair of me to expect you to just figure everything all out at once after what's happened."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think you get it. I don't think I can ever feel that way about yo-"

Tyler had grabbed her from across the table, kissing her gently. When he pulled away, the look in his eyes was different. He finally understood. Tyler shrugged. "I guess when it's not there, it's not there."

"I'm sorry, Tyler," she said quietly and he laughed. "I'm not. I think get the difference between loving somebody and being in love with somebody."

He rested his chin in one hand. "The only thing I do regret is that I've yet to find that one person."

"Well, I hope they don't shit all over you," she joked, "because they have a tendency to do that."

He just smiled and she punched his arm. "You're still going to escort me to the talent show, right?"

"If I have to," he said in mock disappointment. Ridley smacked his arm again. "Tyler Simms!"


	8. The Imperfect Fit

**I own nothing. All of the lyrics in this story are by the Dresden Dolls. In succession, they are called, "The Jeep Song", "The Perfect Fit", and "Truce."** **Definitely worth a listen. If it's too long and drawn out, I apologize, but wanted to condense it into one long chapter instead of having it all spill into another one.**

* * *

Arriving at the auditorium early, Ridley had stood staring at herself in one of the mirrors for over an hour, trying hard to figure out if she could really go through with it. Sarah, Caleb's girlfriend had given her an envelope that said "Don't open it until after the concert and she was trying very hard to forget it existed.

She reapplied her red lipstick and mussed her hair a bit more. It was almost her turn to go on stage. If she was lucky, by then she would stop shaking. She pulled on her black lace glove and adjusted her dress one more time. She looked down at her black converse shoes. They were beat up and for some reason they didn't feel right on her feet. She kicked them off. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brett wave her over to the curtain. They had already finished setting up the drums and piano. The curtain opened and Ridley walked out onto the stage behind Brett. She heard several people yell from the front row. She didn't dare look to see if Reid was watching. She felt a supportive hand on her shoulder and turned back to see Kate, Sarah, and another girl, holding a tambourine behind her, smiling their support.

"You can do this," Kate whispered as the three of them hurried to their spot behind their microphones. The three girls couldn't stop smiling and it was contagious. She sat down on the bench and finally looked out on the crowd as she adjusted her microphone. Reid was the first person she laid eyes on and it gave her a surprising boost in confidence.

"This first song is simply called 'The Jeep Song,'" she said and Reid shifted uncomfortably while Lila blanched. She heard several girls begin laughing as she began playing, her fingers running over each ivory key with ease.

"_I've been driving around town  
With my head spinning around  
Everywhere I look, I see  
A '96 Jeep Cherokee  
You're a bully and a clown  
You made me cry and put me down  
After all that I've been through,  
You'd think I'd hate the sight of you_

_But with every jeep I see  
My broken heart still skips a beat  
I guess it's just my stupid luck  
That all of Boston drives the same black fucking truck_

_It could be him, or am I tripping  
And I'm crashing into everything, I'm  
Thinking about skipping town awhile  
Until these cars go out of style_

_I try to see it in reverse  
It makes the situation hundreds of times worse  
When I wonder if it makes you want to cry  
Every time you see a light blue Volvo driving by,_

_So don't tell me if you're off to see the world  
I know you won't get very far  
Don't tell me if you've got another girl, baby, just  
Tell me if you get another car_

_It could be him, or am I tripping  
It could be him_

_The number of them is insane  
Every exit's an ex-boyfriend memory lane  
Every major street's a minor heart attack—  
I see a red jeep and I want to paint it black!_

_It could be him, or am I tripping  
And I'm crashing into everything, I  
Can't wait til you trade the damn thing in  
By then, they will have put me in the loony bin,_

_It could be him, my heart is pounding  
It's just no use, I'm surrounded  
But one day I'll steal your car and switch the gears  
And drive that Cherokee straight off its Trail of Tears!"_

Ridley couldn't hear anyone as they cheered. All she could hear was he heart beating profusely and all she could feel was Reid's penetrating eyes, but Ridley had done it. She had started to finish what she had begun so long ago. Mrs. Magyar met her backstage frowning slightly. "I thought you weren't going to curse."

Ridley shrugged. "I lied."

Mrs. Magyar's frown deepened. "Well, it's too late to write you out of the next two numbers."

Ridley drank greedily from the bottle of water Sarah handed her. "You did good, Scott," Kate said approvingly. Ridley smiled. "Don't go giving compliments now. I'm not done yet."

"You have ten minutes," Mrs. Magyar yelled as she helped one of the orchestra members find their violin bow. Ridley rolled her eyes and turned back to them. "I'm still nervous."

All too soon, Mrs. Magyar was shoving them back towards the stage. "Are you going to the wrap party?" Sarah asked, hurriedly. Ridley shrugged as they emerged from the curtain and took their places. Burko and Tyler cat called her while the girls in the crowd took up cheering. It didn't escape her notice that Reid had sunk lower in his seat. It was killing him and she almost felt sorry. She began playing the second she was seated.

"_I could make a dress,  
a robe fit for a prince.  
I could clothe a continent,  
but I can't sew a stitch._

_I can paint my face,  
and stand very very still.  
It's not very practical,  
but it still pays the bills._

_I can't change my name,  
but I could be your type.  
I can dance and win at games  
like Backgammon and Life._

_I used to be the smart one,  
sharp as a tack.  
Funny 'bout how skipping years ahead  
has held me back._

_I used to be the bright one,  
top in my class.  
Funny what they give you when you  
just learn how to ask._

_I can write a song,  
but I can't sing in key.  
I can play piano,  
but I never learned to read._

_I can't trap a mouse,  
but I can pet a cat.  
No, I'm really serious!  
I'm really very good at that. _

_I can't fix a car,  
but I can fix a flat.  
I could fix a lot of things,  
but I'd rather not get into that._

_I used to be the bright one,  
Smart as a whip.  
Funny how you slip so far when  
teachers don't keep track of it.  
_

Reid had begun to sit up, feeling he was off the hook until she continued on. Lila was glaring daggers at her.

_  
I used to be the tight one,  
the perfect fit.  
Funny how those compliments can  
make you feel so full of it._

_I can shuffle cut and deal,  
but I can't draw a hand.  
I can't draw a lot of things,  
I hope you understand.  
I'm not exceptionally shy,  
but I've never had a man  
that I could look straight in the eye  
and tell my secret plans._

_I can take a vow,  
and I can wear a ring,  
and I can make you promises,_

_but they won't mean a thing._

_Can't you just do it for me? I'll pay you well.  
Fuck, I'll pay you anything if you could end this._

_Can't you just fix it for me? It's gone berserk...  
Oh, fuck! I'll give you anything if  
you can make the damn thing work._

_Can't you just fix it for me? I'll pay you well.  
Oh, fuck! I'll pay you anything  
if you could end this hell.  
I love you will you tell me your name?  
Hello, I'm good for nothing - will you love me just the same?_

_Just the same_..._"_

Sarah and Kate hurried off stage as the orchestra settled into the pit. She said a quiet "thanks guys," before turning back to Reid. She smiled and said, "I promise I'm almost done." Several people in the audience laughed and he slumped further into his seat.

"_You can have Washington, I'll take New Jersey  
You can have London but I want New York City_

_I should get Providence – I've got a job now  
Los Angeles – obvious – that's where you belong now_

_You can have Africa, Asia, Australia,  
As long as you keep your hands off Cafe Pamplona  
We can split Germany right down the middle  
You'd hate it there anyway  
Take Berlin and we'll call it even_

_You can have all of the carry-on baggage  
I'll trade the Saskia jokes for the alphabet language_

_And special occasions we'll split between parents  
Who forced us to hate them on alternating weekends_

_You call it over and I call you psycho  
Significant other?  
Just say we were lovers and we'll call it even  
We'll call it even_

_I am the ground zero ex-friend you ordered  
Disguised as a hero to get past your borders  
I know when I'm wanted, I'll leave if you ask me to  
Mind my own business and speak when I'm spoken to_

_I am the tower around which you orbited  
I am not proud, I am just taking orders  
I fall to the ground within hours of impact  
I hit back when hit  
And attack when attacked_

_You get Route 2 between Concord and Lexington  
I want Mass Ave from the square to my apartment_

_And if we should meet through some misunderstanding  
I'll be very sweet, very patient, and forgiving  
Now get off my side of the state_

_And if we should see one another in passing  
Despite these techniques, there is sometimes no avoiding  
There must be some kind of mistake_

_We'll raise high the white flags and bow heads and shake hands  
Declaring the land we're on un-American  
We'll call it even  
We'll call it even_

_I am the tower around which you orbited  
I am not proud I am just taking orders  
I fall to the ground within hours of impact  
I hit back when hit  
And attack when attacked_

_And I am an accident waiting to happen  
I'm laughing like mad while you strangle the captain  
My place may be taken but make no mistake  
From a little black box I can say without shame  
That you've lost, that you've lost  
Do you know what you've lost?_

_So take whatever you'd like  
I'll strike like the States on fire  
You won't sleep very tight  
No hiding  
No safe cover  
Make your bed and now lie  
Just like you always do  
You can fake it for the papers but I'm on to you, I'm on to you_

_So take whatever you'd like  
I'll strike like the States on fire  
You won't sleep very tight  
No hiding  
No safe covers  
Make your bed and now lie  
Just like you always do  
You can fake it for the papers but I'm on to you...  
I'm on to you, I'm on to you, I'm on to you."_

Ridley could feel the tears in her eyes as she exited the stage, not bothering to bow. She was ready to leave through the back door of the auditorium when she remembered the letter Sarah had given her. When she opened it, a photograph fell face down on the ground and she looked the note over quickly.

"_I didn't want you to see this until after the show for fear of you chickening out, but I'm sure you'll do great. I hope I did the right thing in giving this to you."_

Ridley picked up the picture and slowly turned it over. It was a black and white of her and Reid at Nicky's a week before she had broken things off. She was hanging on Reid's shoulder, her fingers laced and her head resting on his chest smiling as she watched Tyler help Reid swindle Aaron out of his money once again during a game of pool. It was a sad memory to her, salt in an open wound and she was about to throw the picture away when she happened to look at Reid. He was looking down at her with a big smile on his face-a smile she had never seen on him before, never seen on any boy who looked at her. Ridley suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Ridley was crying silently, trying hard not to shake as she finally slipped out that back of the auditorium, making sure she went unseen. She got in her car and raced towards the bluffs before changing her mind and deciding to instead stop down at the shoreline.

There was a chill in the air and Ridley hugged herself for warmth, wishing she had been smart enough to bring clothes to change into after the performance. She could hear her cell phone ring frantically as people tried hard to find her, but it didn't matter. She had ruined things again. Ridley felt her anger boil over and she screamed into the darkness, kicking sand into the water. "That's it, you've won!"

She kicked again and fell back. "You've won," she said softly, her voice breaking. She sat there silently until the sun came up.


	9. Cold

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Tyler had pulled on Ridley's jacket playfully and instead of laughing she usually did, she punched him hard in the chest. "What's you deal?" he asked and without looking at him she shove the picture into his chest as she shoved book after book in her locker. Tyler frowned at the picture. "When you get this?"

"After the fucking concert," she muttered as she tried desperately to cram her last literature book into her locker. Tyler shoved it back at her. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, half the female population of the school thinks you're a hero."

Without another word, he turned to stomp of towards history without her. Ridley was too busy frowning after him to notice her giant, Shakespeare book topple out of her overstuffed locked and onto her foot. Ridley jumped, nearly falling over as she grabbed her foot and growled loudly through clenched teeth, "Cock sucking, asshole, motherfucking cunt! Shit, fuck!"

"You okay?"

She barely heard them ask as she continued to rant as she bent over to pick up her book. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the girl next her begin to widen her eyes and step back. She stood up and glared at the girl before she began to shove the book back into her locker, using all her strength. A familiar gloved hand shot out from behind her a pushed, the book obeyed, disappearing into a cyclone of papers, books, and notebooks. She turned around slowly, aware that every student lingering in the hallway was watching them with interest. Ridley slammed her locker shut and stared at him suspiciously. "What do you want, Garwin?"

He glared at her for a moment before becoming serious again. "I wanted to say I was sorry."

"For what," she asked coldly, "I agreed to it, too."

"I just feel bad for treating you the way that I did," he tried to explain, his anger building. She scoffed at him, and began walking. "Whatever."

He grabbed her roughly and shoved her against the locker. "I mean it, Ridley. After the-last night. I get it, okay?"

"Get what," she blinked at him. He frowned. "Lila dumped me."

"If you want me to feel sorry for you, boy are you demented," she snapped, shoving a finger into his chest, "I wouldn't feel sorry for you even if you promised never to speak to me again."

"I don't care about Lila," he said quickly, shoving his fist into a locker door. She laughed. "Oh, so it was the getting dumped part that sucked."

He nodded and she rolled her eyes in an attempt to keep her angry, hot tears in check. "Where were you, Garwin? Where were you when I stormed off? Huh, thinking about screwing my best friend again," she asked, jabbing him hard in the chest with her index finger, "because I'm pretty sure I dumped you, so rejection shouldn't be such new territory."

"That's not what I'm saying," he yelled, rubbing his eyes, "I'm saying I finally understood how you felt when I heard you sing!"

"Oh, so the only way anyone can communicate with you is through fucking song and dance?"

"Shut up, and stop twisting my words around," he bellowed at her, causing several people around them to step back, "I'm trying to say I'm sorry I hurt you so just accept my fucking apology for the love of God."

Something hardened further in her eyes and she slammed something into his chest. "Here I don't want this. I don't ever want anything to do with you again," she said as she walked off towards the front of the school, presumably for a much needed smoke break. Reid looked down at what she had thrust at him. It was the picture Sarah had given her. Reid finally understood what that pain in his chest that had been with him for several months was.

* * *

Ridley couldn't lie. She really did want to keep that picture. When she wasn't sneaking peeks at it, she was thinking about it. Ridley stared down at the water below the cliff but it was too dark to see. Tyler was wrong. Heartbreak sucked. It just hurt so bad, nothing was right. She had just fooled herself into thinking that once the talent show was over Reid would leave her alone, but now he was more persistent. Ridley smashed the empty bottle next to her and held up on of the large shards of clear glass. _It just hurts so much,_ she thought letting the glass hover over her left wrist before raking it across her tender skin. The pain she felt was a relief for just that one moment she couldn't feel or hear her heart as it continued to break over and over again. She couldn't hear as he blood soaked, wrenched up heart wept whenever Reid crossed her mind. For that one second all she felt was searing pain. When it didn't stop bleeding she wrapped a towel around it and went to the pharmacy in downtown Ipswich. The amount of gauze and other first aid supplies caused the clerk to stare at her.

She grinned at him. "I promise I won't try to perform a home surgery or anything."

He shook his head at her and continued to ring her up. Once outside in her car, she wrapped the several layers of gauze around the sore wound as it began to bleed again and taped it up.

She glanced down at the digital clock on her dashboard and cursed when she noticed the time, she had to be in work in less than ten minutes and she was more than twenty minutes away. Nicky was a stickler for punctuality. Somehow she made it Nicky's in five minutes, while changing into her uniform pleated black skirt and shirt, pulling on her trademark black fishnets and boots. Nicky barely looked up as she came around to the back of the bar and began mixing drinks while he cooked several burgers.

"Thought you weren't gonna make it," he said as he handed two orders of fries to a couple of girls standing at the bar. She smiled as she shook up one customer's martini. "Couldn't leave you high and dry now could I?"

Nicky rolled his eyes at her and shoved a platter at her, before thrusting several orders onto them. "Table four, six, and eight."

Ridley cringed when she saw who was at table four. Burko would have an aneurysm once he saw her wrist. And sure enough, he did. "What's that," he asked, grabbing her arm.

She shrugged. "I cut myself why making breakfast."

He stood up. "You don't eat breakfast."

Ridley pulled her arm out of Burko's grasp and Davis stood up beside her defensively. "Come on, man, not here in front of all these people."

Burko scowled at her and grabbed his jacket, pointing at her as he walked out. "We're talking about this later."

Several people in the bar began to whisper as they caught sight of her and by the time she got to table eight, Tyler and the gang's table, they were studying her with worried eyes.

"Ridley, can I-"Tyler began to ask. She held her arm out for him to look at the bandage as she took Reid's order.

"You're just pissed that no one will give you attention," Reid said smirking and Ridley rolled her eyes. "You're right. Maybe if I slept around more like you do, I'd be friends with everyone."

She jumped as the cool air licked her wound. She hadn't expected Tyler to pull of the bandage. The gash was red and angry. "That's really deep," Sarah said, looking up at her and Reid's eyes narrowed. He grabbed hold of her arm. His expression darkened even more as he glanced down at the slice mark before he shoved her away. "God, you're so stupid, Ridley."

"And you're a prick, a slutty prick," she snapped back as she re-bandaged her arm. He shrugged. "I don't cut myself to feel better."

She leveled her eyes at him. They were void of all emotion. "I did it to stop feeling, Garwin. And I'm not sorry because now when I look at you, I feel _nothing_."

Reid blinked at her, trying hard to understand what she just said. His eyes kept coming back to her through out the night, watching the way she interacted with people. She seemed so uncaring, so cold. After her shift, she sat at the bar, writing as usual as Nicky poured her shot after shot of vodka. The girl was a fucking tank. Davis stumbled up to her, his eyes laced with concern and she shrugged him off as she down another shot. She stood up and walked out, straight as an arrow.

Reid felt himself stand and move towards the door, followed by Tyler, Caleb, Pogue, Kate, and Sarah. "Ridley," he yelled, and she didn't even bother to turn to look at him as she unlocked her car door and threw her bag in the backseat. "I thought I told you I don't want to have anything to do with you."

"Yes, because I'm the worst possible thing in the world for you," he shot back and she scoffed. "Don't you _get_ it, Reid. _You're_ the reason I'm like this. Burko was right. I should have just stayed away from you."

"Get over it," Reid snapped and she glared daggers at him. "Well, it'd be easier for me to if you left me alone."

"You think you're the only one with problems?!"

"No, I don't which is why I don't understand why you have to bother me when you've made it perfectly clear I don't matter to you," she said, hitting a nerve, "I'm avoiding you for a reason. You suck people into your life, chew them up and spit them out. Why? Because that's who you are; it's what you do. You use everyone and everything around you and I'm tired of being the one who everyone uses, so I'm sorry if it bothers you. I don't care. I'm done caring about you. I'm sick of wondering if you really felt sorry or you were trying to make yourself feel better for being called on your shit."

Reid couldn't say anything. She was absolutely right and he knew it. "All I know is that one day, you're going to meet that one person that you don't just want, you need and you're going to lose them because you won't know how to deal. So stop trying to make me feel bad for being fucked up and take a good look in the mirror."

He pulled out the picture and stuck it in her face. "What if I already met that person?"

Reid knew it was a bullshit move, but it was the only card he knew to pull. She looked at the picture for only a moment and then looked back at him. "Then I'd say you blew it."

She started the car and looked up at him. "That girl doesn't even exist anymore."


	10. Stupid Boy

**I own nothing. Also, because the story would be way too long winded if I continued with it the way it is, I'm breaking it up into a Sequel, which I will promptly start writing as soon as this is posted. **

* * *

Ridley was glad. It was the last day of school and that meant seeing less of Reid. Despite being publicly humiliated by her not once, but three times, he still kept hounding her. Now he was tormenting her, making snarky remarks about her in class and parading a new date in front of her every day. It amazed her that girls knew his reputation and still wanted to be with him. It spoke volumes about their self-esteem.

She felt an open palm smack on her bottom as Tyler slid up next to her and leaned against the locker, giving her his most winning smile. "Why, hello, foxy lady."

Ridley giggled as she continued to pull heaps of paper from her locker. "Hey, Ty."

"Just think, you'll be off in Boston next year and I'll be stuck here in little old Ipswich," He leaned his head against the locker next to her and mock pouted. "What will I do without you?"

She smiled. "Well, the Provost told me and Burko that if we wanted to, we could come here on music scholarships."

Tyler beamed at her. "That's great!"

She nodded. "Yeah, and by the time my Dad comes back-if he ever does- I'll already be living in the dorms."

"_You're_ moving here," she heard a disgusted voice say and Tyler glared at his blond friend. Ridley turned to level her gaze at him. "Don't worry. You won't be seeing me all summer unless you plan on asking Nicky when I work every time you're in his bar."

Reid felt himself turning red and Ridley smirked as she dumped the last of her school supplies into the nearby trashcan and followed Tyler outside. She was getting better at hitting him where it hurt. She waved at him tauntingly, "I'll see you next year."

Reid rolled his eyes and followed them out. "You're such a bitch!"

Ridley threw her middle finger up in the air as she continued to walk, not even halting her steps. Reid smirked. "Maybe I am wasting my time bothering with you. You weren't that good in bed anyway."

Ridley swiveled around to look at him, her expression on readable as she puffed on her cigarette and Reid couldn't help it that his eyes wandered down to look at her kissable Reid lips. She slowly walked over to him, each stride more confident than the last. She slowly wrapped both arms around hi neck and leaned up to him, her lids half closed as she whispered up at him, "I'm surprised you even remember what it was like being in bed with me; our legs tangled up in the sheets, breathing hard as we moved against each other."

Reid felt himself begin to burn at the memory and her lips nearly grazed his as she spoke, "I think my favorite part was when you through me up against the wall as hard as you could."

Reid could feel himself leaning down towards her and just as his lips were about to touch hers, her right hand hit him hard in the jaw. He hadn't even realized she had pulled her arms from around his neck, hadn't noticed her bring back her arm to hit him and he nearly fell over. God, could she hit hard.

"I was the best and you just don't to admit it," she said, ashing her cigarette at his feet, "that's why you wanted me more than once, so don't try to bullshit me about being bad in bed."

Reid could hear Tyler laughing hysterically behind her as she turned on her heel and bid him farewell with a "Have a nice summer, asshole."


	11. Closing Doors

**I own nothing. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. It's good to know you don't totally suck. And I've decided to go ahead and keep it going as one story. and I'm toying with the idea of an actual sequel since I've everything with this story worked out.  
**

* * *

It was the day Reid had been dreading for almost three months. It was the first day of school. He had practically bulldozed everyone in his path in a bid to get to his first class. That way, he would have less of a chance of running into _her_. Then his again, his first class was "Romantic Poets Through out the Ages" and he wasn't exactly thrilled that his choice was either possibly run into her, or be early to class and have to sit in there longer. The second bell rang and he frowned down at the seat next to him. Tyler was never late to class. _Ever_. Especially not on the first day. Pogue and Caleb looked up at him from the second row and he shrugged. The professor was nearly through calling roll when the door opened and in came Burko, who was now sporting the trademark Spenser uniform, though rather sloppily. 

"Mr. Burkowicz," the professor said, obviously perturbed that students were already making it a habit to come to class late. Burko just nodded at him, smirking. The professor began to close the door, when a hand shot out to catch it and in waltzed Tyler with a supremely smug smile on his face. Reid was confused until he saw the person following him. She was tall, leggy and somehow she made the school uniform look sexy instead of frumpy. It fit her in all the right places, hugging her curves as her hips swayed from side to side. He couldn't see her face as she was busy looking down at her cell phone, which he assumed she was turning on silent. It didn't escape his notice that she and Tyler were holding hands as they entered. The Professor's frowned even more.

"Mr. Simms, Miss Scott," he barked, I would appreciate it if you would come to class on time."

Reid had been leaning back in his chair and upon hearing her name, he fell back, tumbling to the floor, causing several people in the class to fall into fits of hysterics. It couldn't be the same Ridley from junior year. The Ridley who was so innocent, yet wild. This girl before him was so, womanly, so sure of herself, so confident. Her eyes were still the same smoldering dark brown and her lips……Reid couldn't stop staring at her.

"Sorry," Tyler mumbled, turning slightly red. Ridley smirked next to him. "Sorry, we had an emergency we needed to take care of."

The Professor raised an eyebrow, wanting her to elaborate and she readily obliged, rolling her eyes. "Okay, so I wasn't having the emergency; he was, and," Her grin grew, "I gave him a hand…..or two."

He saw Burko shaking with laughter in the front row and Tyler turned even redder, sending Burko a death glare. Ridley patted Tyler's cheek. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed." She headed towards the stares looking like the cat who ate the canary as she ascended each step. She was aware of the way each boy was staring at her, watching her every move. She loved it. She sat down two seats away from Reid, leaving a seat in between them for Tyler. She didn't look at him once. Tyler sat down next to her heavily. "I can't believe you just did that," he huffed. She uncapped her pen and flipped through the pages of her textbook. "Just be glad I left out the fact that this was in the stairwell."

Tyler looked heavenward and finally turned to Reid who was staring at him in a mixture of shock and anger.

"It's a joke, Garwin," Ridley said before Tyler could say anything, though she hadn't been looking at him, "though I'm sure you'll be the first person I tell should I ever choose to sleep with Tyler."

"Who says I'd want to," Tyler hissed and she raised and eyebrow as if to say 'have you not _seen_ me' and Tyler sighed. "You're very forward."

Ridley just smiled at him and went back to copying down notes as the Professor droned on.

Ridley strutted down the hallway, her arm linked with Tyler's as they headed towards the cafeteria. Ridley had let her hair grow down to her shoulders and she was debating whether or not she would cut it. Still she had to admit, she like having longer hair. She was vaguely aware of Reid trailing behind them. He hadn't spoken to either her or Tyler all day and she was grateful.

"Hey, Ridley," Sarah called from a table in the middle of the cafeteria and she hurried over, hugging Sarah and Kate.

"So, how was you're summer?" they asked, and Ridley grinned devilishly. "Pretty freaking awesome."

"Meet any hot guys," Kate asked and Ridley grinned again. "A few. Nothing special. I spent most of my time working the late shift at Nicky's so I didn't really have much time for getting out."

"Have you heard from your parents?" Sarah asked cautiously and Ridley nodded. "Dad got put in jail in like Arizona or something and Mom wanted me to give her the money to bail him out. I said no, of course."

"I can't believe this is our last year here," Sarah said sadly and Ridley shrugged. "It's got to end some time."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "How sentimental of you."

She rested her head on his shoulder and pursed her lips in an innocent pout. "I'll miss you, Ty."

He rolled his eyes again and smiled. Caleb leveled his eyes at her. "So, I hear tell you know of our little secret."

"Like I told Garwin, my lips are sealed," she said, picking a French fry off of Caleb's plate. He frowned. He was about to say something when Burko slammed his tray down next to Ridley causing everyone but her to jump. "For such a pricey school, you'd think they'd have better food."

Ridley laughed. "Dude, you've always been a picky eater."

"Want to go to Nicky's tonight?" Ridley frowned at Kate and her eyes widened. "What?"

"I work there forty hours a week. Why would I want to go there on one of my nights off?"

"You're going," Kate and Sarah said simultaneously.

* * *

It still hurt to see him. It hurt like hell. She had tried to forget him in every guy she met and instead she ended up seeing how different they were from him and how much she hated that. She hated him, but she loved him, too. Ridley paused in the mirror looking at herself. It had been hard to swallow her pride and be so close to him all day, but she had done it for Tyler's sake. There was a knock at the door and she frowned when she opened the door to reveal the very subject of her thoughts. Without a word he moved past her and Ridley tensed as she shut the door. 

"You look different," he said after several moments of silence. She raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"What happened to the old Ridley?" Reid asked, his blue eyes clearer than she had ever seen them. She shrugged under his penetrating gaze. "I told you, she doesn't exist anymore."

He glared at her. "That's a lie and you know it."

"It is not."

He stepped toward her until her back was against the door and said through gritted teeth. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Doing what?" she snapped, pushing him back. He shoved her back. "Acting this way! I hate it."

"God, you're such a baby! People change, they grow up and move on," she said, sighing. Reid pushed himself up against her and she gasped at the feel of his lips grazing her neck. "So, you don't feel that?"

She made a confused noise and he continued, "You don't feel that. That attraction?"

"Just because I'm attracted to you doesn't mean I'm going to give in to it," she said, pushing past him. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a white tank top and dark slouch jeans. She looked up at him as she walked over to her bathroom. "Why can't you accept that it's over?"

It was good question-one that Reid had been asking himself ever since she had left. He wished to God he knew the answer.


	12. Walk ins and Small Talk

**I own nothing. R&R. All the cool kids are doing it.**

* * *

Nicky's was packed and Reid was very aware of the eyes that followed Ridley as she strutted over to the table. Her new found confidence had caused a drastic change in her that her simply could not get over. It was troubling and seductive all at once and he tried hard not to think of what had given her such a boost. She sat down next to Tyler and mussed his hair in a more than flirty way, causing Tyler to smirk. Something was definitely going on there and if not, there was going to be soon.

The entire time, Ridley wrote on her napkins in sharpie, while he and Tyler played pool. "Is Ridley still playing the drums?" Tyler asked Burko, who had been standing at the bar waiting for his order of fries. "Not really, every now and then when she's pissed off, but I taught her how to play guitar over the summer. She writes a lot of my band's stuff."

"She ever play it with you guys," Reid asked and Burko almost glared at him. "No, but I'm trying to get her to."

Ridley was suddenly at Tyler's side. "I think I'm going to head home. I'm kind of wiped and I've still want to get some studying done," she said before kissing him and Burko on the cheek and exiting the bar. Burko shook his head, "She's not going to study, she wrote something and now she wants to work on it." He smiled. "You know, she writes good shit when she's depressed."

"So, she writes good shit all the time," Tyler joked and Burko shrugged. "Hey, us creative souls are only happiest when we're in pain."

Reid sunk the eight ball and Tyler hand him his pool stick. "I'm done for the night. I actually do want to study."

"You always want to study," Reid complained, "what am I supposed to do?"

Tyler snorted. "There's plenty of hot girls in here. Pick one. I'll be in the library, so you won't have to worry about me walking in on anything."

"How come you never bring anyone home?" Reid asked and Tyler rolled his eyes. "Because I'm attracted to substance. Looks are just a bonus in my book."

"I'm attracted to substance," Reid snapped and both Tyler and Burko started laughing. Burko was the one to respond, "Only if they're willing to have sex with you."

Reid was left standing by the pool table alone when he spotted a buxom redhead. He had had biology with her sophomore year and she had filled out nicely in the past two years. Within minutes of approaching her, they had headed back to the dorms and were tangled up in the sheets of his bed when he heard a familiar voice in the door way.

"Hey Tyler-oh, wow," Ridley was standing in the open doorway with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, didn't know you were, well, yeah...shit."

"What the fuck, Ridley," Reid snapped and she rolled her eyes, "I came to see if I could borrow Tyler's book for Romantic-"

"He's in the library, now get out," Reid fumed as the redhead tried desperately to cover up. Ridley frowned at him. "Well, can I at least borrow your book?"

She was unbelievable. "Where's _your_ book?!"

"In my locker," she said casually, strolling into the room to grab the book off his desk. She smiled at him. "This is why I'm glad I don't have a roommate yet. They and their friends can't walk in on me doing something compromising."

She smiled at the redhead as she left the room. "Bye, Ingrid."

* * *

Reid had been grouchy all day when Caleb finally decided to confront him about it. "What is your deal?!" 

"Ridley, cock-blocked me last night," he grumbled causing the others to laugh hysterically. "What?! She did."

Ridley plopped down next to him at the table, dropping the book in his lap and he glared at her. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"You know, I didn't get any last night because of you," he snapped irritably and Ridley began to grin. "It was because I knew her name and you didn't, wasn't it?"

"No," he lied and everyone began laughing again.

"So, when do you get your new roommate? Do you know who it is?" Sarah asked, trying to change the subject for fear of an all out lover's brawl between the two. Ridley frowned. "Provost won't tell me even though I bug him about it every time I get sent to his office."

"How many times do you get sent to his office," Pogue asked raising an eyebrow and Burko laughed. "About two or three times a day."

"He said he's going to put a desk in his office just for me," she said, grinning proudly. Kate shook her head in amazement. "How do you not get suspended for that?"

"They love me down there," she replied and Tyler nodded. "The secretary baked her cookies on the last day of school last year and cried because she didn't think Ridley was coming back."

Ridley got a far off look in her eyes. "Sherri can sure bake some bad ass chocolate chip cookies, let me tell you and Lynette's brownies are to die for."

Tyler nodded in agreement. "Those were pretty amazing."

"I never saw you with any of these cookies," Sarah pouted. Ridley smiled again. "That's because we ate them in the teacher's lounge. Did you know they have an Xbox in there and a plasma TV? So cool."

Caleb and Pogue raised an eyebrow and Pogue asked, "How often do you guys go to the lounge?"

"Well, usually when I get sent to the Provo's office he tells me I'm acting out out of boredom and tells me to go sit down someplace quiet, so I just go get Tyler and Burko and we go sit in the lounge with Mr. Canan and play Halo or something."

"Dude, Canan is so hot," Kate exclaimed and Ridley wrinkled her nose. "I guess, but I admire him more for his gaming skills."

"Man," Caleb said, "you're more of a troublemaker than Reid."

"That's why I make sure I'm too lovable to ever be punished," she said matter-of-factly and they laughed. Ridley frowned again. "I hope I don't get stuck with some snobby little priss."

"You probably will be."

Ridley made a face at Tyler. "Thank you for your reassurance."

"I still can't believe you cock-blocked me," Reid muttered and she rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I'm sure you'll find some piece of ass by the end of the day."

"True," he replied and she laughed trying to ignore the pang she felt in her chest.

"So," Tyler said smoothly as he draped an arm over her shoulder, "you coming to practice."

"I don't know," she teased, biting her lips, "I have quite the aversion to hot guys in speedos."

Tyler pouted at her. "Please, when you're not around they pick on me."

"Of course I'll be there," she said grinning smugly, "like I'd honestly pass up the chance to see you guys almost completely naked and dripping wet."

Sarah and Kate both got dreamy looks on their faces as they stared at their boyfriends and Ridley began to pout as she threw a fry at the duo. "I hate you both. Not only do you get to see them naked you get to fu-"

Tyler covered her mouth just then, "Somebody's got a dirty mouth."

Ridley just rolled her eyes and turned to her other best friend, Burko. "So why won't you try out for the swim team?"

"Because I'm not a swimmer," he said, as if the answer should be obvious, "And I look anorexic in those banana hammocks.

Ridley made an indignant face. "You so do not and since when are you shy about being naked in front of people? You've been getting naked in public since the day you were born."

"I'll think about," Burko said to appease her, though it was obvious he wouldn't.

Tyler got up to get another drink and Sarah and Kate ppounced. "So you and Tyler….are you guys like…."

Ridley snorted and started laughing. "No. It's nothing like that."

Kate grinned. "Riight."

"I'm serious," Ridley insisted before breaking down, "Okay fine, there was this one time when we kissed. Totally spur of the moment thing and, like, we just never talk about it."

She fiddled with the water bottle in front of her and Kate said in a coy voice. "But if you had the choice-"

Ridley rolled her eyes. "Oh, God, Kate, don't even go there. We're talking major life complications."

"Not to mention I'd never talk to either of you again," Reid muttered and Ridley felt the sudden urge to strangle him. "Okay, see there's the dilemma. I really want to not ever have to talk to you again, but for some deranged reason, Tyler likes you and considers you a good friend, and the last thing I want to do is bust you two up. Plus, I'm totally not a slut."

"How many people have you slept with," Kate asked, without batting an eye. Ridley looked down at her lap and mumbled something too quiet for anyone to hear.

"Huh?" Sarah asked. Ridley turned bright red and jumped up. "One okay?!"

There was no question as to who that is. She turned and began to walk away. "I have to go do things away from here."

Tyler returned with a confused look on his face. "Where'd Ridley go?"

When everyone shifted uncomfortably, but Reid he narrowed his eyes at his blond friend. "What did you do, Reid?"

"Why do I always get blamed for crap?!"


	13. A world Getting Smaller

**I won nothing.**

* * *

"Man, I forgot my books in my locker," Tyler groaned, turning to go back to get them. Ridley stopped him. "Just tell me the combination and I'll get them and meet you in the locker room so you won't be late.

Tyler hugged her. "You're my life saver."

He quickly told her his password and headed down the hall for practice. She quickly got his books and raced to the locker room. Nobody was in there. _Practice must have already started,_ she thought as she went down the rows of lockers. He had said his locker was number 22, but she wasn't seeing it. She bit her lip. She didn't want to just leave them on one of the benches for someone to take, though she had no idea why anyone would steal school textbooks, but it happened. She was turned away from the lockers, trying to decide if she should just go out and watch them and keep the books with her when a smooth voice from behind her asked, "Why are you in here?"

Ridley turned around and was confronted with the sight of a very naked Reid. "Why are you naked?"

He gave her a funny look. "Because this is the _Men's locker room_."

She rolled her eyes. "I meant, why are you still in here naked instead of out at practice?"

He shrugged and sauntered towards her, towel over his shoulder and completely exposed. She eyed him warily. "Whatever you're planning, Garwin, I suggest you forget about it."

A charming grin spread across his face and Ridley fought the urge to melt. "I'm not planning anything. I was just wondering why I'm the only guy you've ever slept with."

She frowned and continued to search for Tyler's locker. "I thought we covered this."

"Well, I know you're not a slut, but I mean, come on, one person?" he pushed and she felt her nerves begin to get the best of her. "Maybe because I haven't been in a relationship with anyone."

"You still slept with me."

"Yeah, and look where that got me," she muttered as she finally found Tyler's locker and quickly entered the combination. She threw the books in quickly and turned to go, nearly running into Reid's chest. She glared at him. "Could you please move? I have plans."

"Do you really want to watch a bunch of guys swim for an hour and a half," he asked, putting one hand up against the locker behind her and playing with her long dark hair with his other.

"Reid," she said through gritted teeth, "back off." She shoved him hard and pushed through the back doors of the locker room to the pool.

"Garwin, put some pants on," the coach yelled, causing Ridley to realize that Reid had followed her out. She sent Kate and Sarah a pleading look, but they were to busy looking at Reid with wide eyes, their mouths slightly open.

"Come on, Ridley, there's got to be a reason," he called, just barely keeping up with her as hurried to the guys whose mouths were also agape.

"I just told you," she groaned, "so go away."

"Garwin!" The coach yelled again and Ridley yelled at the coach, "It's not like nobody's ever seen it before!"

Reid suddenly became aware of all the female girls in the pool area and began to preen.

"Come on Ridley!'

She sighed and turned around. "Fine, because I got this vibrator called 'The Jackrabbit' and it's amazing. I don't need sex when I have it."

His mouth dropped slightly as did the mouths of the entire swim team. She continued. "You know, it's better than you were, so I figure if you were supposed to be so great in bed than this thing is really the only good sex I'm ever going to have. Not to mention, I won't ever get STDs or get pregnant-"

"Yeah, but you think of me when you use it," Reid said smirking and she shoved him into the pool. "No, because the guys I dream of are hotter and a lot less stupid."

She looked over at Tyler. "I'm just gonna go-"

Reid growled at her. "Ridley Jane Scott-"

Without another word, Ridley turned and ran into the locker room as Reid pulled himself out of the pool, finally wrapping the towel around himself, and followed after her.

"They're like children," Pogue muttered as he and Caleb started towards the locker room. When the reached the couple, it looked at first as if they were kissing, until they realized that Reid had her pinned to keep her from hitting him. "I swear to god, Garwin," she seethed, "when I get up I'm going to beat you senseless and stuff you in one of the fucking lockers!"

Caleb grabbed on to Reid and Pogue grabbed onto Ridley who was still struggling towards Reid, her eyes full of rage. "What is your deal," Caleb snapped at him and Reid shrugged as a lazy grin spread over his face. "What can I say, I like a good challenge."

"Let me go," Ridley howled and Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Do you promise to behave?"

She nodded and the moment Pogue let her go she went flying at Reid who began to scream, "Ridley, ow! Nails, nails, NAILS!" Reid was finally able to pin both her hands behind her back holding her back. "Damn, you are one pissed off, woman," he said leaning close to her face and she managed to bite his lower lip hard. He growled at her and bit her neck hard. He licked his lip. It was bleeding and she smiled proudly at him.

"Bitch," he muttered and she lunged at him again, getting his lower lip once more. He threw her away from him and they leveled their eyes at one another, breathing hard.

Believing them calm, Tyler, Pogue, and Caleb left to go back to practice. Reid and Ridley eyed each other suspiciously. "Are you going to pin me again?" she asked and he asked back caustically, "Are you going to bite me again?"

"Maybe," she said, glaring at him. "Why do you have to be such an asshole?"

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?"

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Why do you want me to leave you alone?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why do _you_ care?"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you, too!"

They glared at one another for several more moments before throwing themselves at each other, their mouths crushed together roughly. "I need to get to practice," he murmured into her mouth. "Mmmmmm," she moaned in response. "Like right now," he said, kissing her harder. "Then you should go," she said, as he trailed rough kisses down her neck. He bit her lower lip gently and she felt him nod against her. "I'm leaving right now." He finally pulled away with an extremely dazed look on his face. Ridley touched her fingers to her lips in confusion and Reid almost died. He wanted her so bad. She stood up and without a word, walked out of the locker room.

* * *

"I said, leave me alone," Ridley snapped at Reid. Ever since they had kissed in the locker room, he hadn't stopped pestering her about it.

"Come on, Ridley, we have to talk about it." She whirled on him in front of the building and practically screamed in his face, "I don't want to!"

"Why not," he yelled back just as loudly, causing everyone to turn to them with wide eyes. There were an awful lot of people on campus for it being a Sunday afternoon. Ridley kicked him hard in the shin with her big bulky Airwalks. Reid growled and pounced on her. They rolled around for several minutes, biting and pulling each other's hair. Caleb stepped forward to intercede and Burko pushed him back. "Just let em' go. What's the worst that could happen?"

The two pushed away from each to her and stood up.

"You're such a bitch!" Reid yelled, shoving her and she shoved back. "You're such an asshole!"

"Get over yourself!"

"You get over _yourself_!"

"I still hate you!"

"I still hate _you_!"

Reid shoved her hard against the trunk of a nearby tree as his lips came down on hers and Ridley grabbed onto the tree branch above her, pulling herself up slightly so as to wrap her legs around his waist. She grabbed his face with both hands and glared at him, saying in between kisses, "I really do hate you."

"The feeling is totally mutual," he said raggedly.

Everyone around them shifted uncomfortably. Kate was the first to speak. "That's really hot."

"That's really awkward," Tyler said, making a face, "like total hardcore PDA."

"But they said they hate each other," Sarah said jokingly.

"Reid," someone called in a surprised voice, causing him and Ridley to break from a very passionate kiss and stare at the person in confusion. Reid's eyes began to focus and he widened them as he stared at the tall blond girl staring at both of them in shock.

"Christine," he said dumbly. He hadn't seen her nor heard from her in over a year and a half. She didn't respond. She was too busy staring at Ridley venomously. Ridley unwound herself from Reid and gawked at the girl. "Christine?"

Christine glared at her, "What on earth are you doing kissing my ex-boyfriend?!"

"I didn't know he was your ex-boyfriend and if I had, I would have made sure I wouldn't get caught," Ridley snapped, crossing her arms defensively. She glared harder at the younger girl. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"How do you two know each other?"

Ridley bit her lip and looked up at him. "Um, Christine is my half-sister."

* * *

**Wow things are getting so complicated. R&R because like I said, all the cool kids are doing it.**


	14. Shut Up and Dance

**I own nothing. But if I had it my way, I'd own a vespa and a French wombat.  
**

* * *

"so why didn't you ever mention you had a sister," Tyler asked as they sat on his bed studying. Ridley shrugged and shifted to get more comfortable. "Because I've only seen her about a total of a dozen times through out my life. We have the same dad, but he cheated on my mom with her mom." 

"You're family really is messed up," he muttered and she laughed. "You don't have to tell me that."

"At least you can laugh about it," Ridley nodded and then her face clouded over, "you know she's never had to live with him. Any time she saw me after he'd beat me she just thought I was lying."

Tyler took her hand in his supportively. "Well, I never liked her anyway."

Ridley smiled at him and he asked, "So where is little Miss Sunshine?"

Ridley rolled her eyes. "Unpacking. Can you believe Provo thought it would be a great idea for us to live in the same room?"

"If it makes you feel any better I think you're the better sister," he said and she smiled. "Oh, I know I am."

She stared at him for a long time gnawing on her lip. He put down his pen and paper and sighed knowingly. "I know you want to so just go ahead and ask."

"If you know what I'm going to ask, then why don't you just tell me," she said giving him one of her looks.

"They went out his sophomore year, her freshman year for about four months. She was his first and only girlfriend to date. He used to follow her around like a little puppy. Then she left to go to California with her mom."

"So in other words, he was in love with her." She bit her lip again and huffed. "Figures I end up messing around with one of my sister's exes."

"Look, it's just the way she carries herself or something," Tyler explained.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged and a thoughtful expression appeared on his handsome face. "I don't know. It's just something about her that makes her so attractive."

Ridley groaned. "I hate girls like that. Lila used to be like that."

"What happened to Lila?"

Ridley shrugged. "She dropped out remember? I haven't seen her since."

Reid came barreling through the door just then and began to fling clothes around the room. Tyler raised an eyebrow at his frustrated roommate. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find something to wear," Reid answered as he let out a low growl. Tyler opened his mouth to ask another question and Ridley piped up. "He's going to see my sister obviously."

"How long have you been here?" Reid asked, noticing her for the first time.

"Since I got sick of hearing Christine bitch about how she caught us kissing." She sighed and shook her head. "Didn't know she was so afraid of some competition. I'd become a lesbian, but I like the trouser snake a little too much."

Tyler laughed and Reid glared at her. "Why are you in your underwear?"

She closed her book and gave him her infamous 'you're so annoying' look. "I'm staying here tonight."

"Why?" Reid could feel himself clench his fists. She rolled her eyes. "I am not sleeping in the same room with that girl."

"Who's bed are you sleeping in?"

"Does it matter?" When his glared deepened she sighed. "I'm sleeping in Tyler's because he doesn't try to get in my pants."

"Yeah, she tries to get into _my_ pants," Tyler deadpanned and Ridley whacked him with her notebook on the arm. He glared at her, horrified. "_Ow!_"

"That's for saying I try to get in your pants when I don't," she hissed. He looked outraged. "You so do _all the time_, you're always grab-assing me!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and smiled playfully. "I can't help it if you have a cute butt, Babe."

"You guys make me want to puke," Reid said finally. Ridley smiled at him proudly. "Aww, thanks, you make us want to puke, too."

Reid rolled his eyes as he began to leave and Ridley called after him in a high pitched voice, "Call me!"

Reid looked back to see Tyler bean her with a pillow and she lunged at him and they toppled over the edge of the bed laughing. He really did hate it when they flirted. He could tell just by watching that it meant more than they let on. He needed to find somewhere to spend the night and quick. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep knowing they were in bed together next to him. No way in hell.

* * *

"Boy, how I do interrupt your fun time," Ridley snapped as she entered her room to find Reid on top of Christine _in her bed_ making out furiously. She shoved him off Christine. "Could you please not do this in my bed?" 

Christine smiled up at her. "Actually, this is my bed now."

"Oh really, since when?" Ridley asked as she put her hands on her hips. Chritine's smile grew. "Since I found out you slept with my ex-boyfriend."

Ridley narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but he doesn't have your name tattooed on him anywhere so how was I to know that you had most likely fucked him three ways till Sunday?"

"Ladies, ladies," Reid said in a calm voice, "maybe we should just settle down and-"

Ridley pointed at him. "You shut up."

Then she pointed at her sister, "You, will get your skanky ass off my bed and move your shit over to your side of the room before my fist has a meeting with your scrunched up little face."

"No, I won't."

Reid closed his eyes. Christine obviously had no idea who she was messing with. Ridley grabbed Christine by the hair as roughly as possible and yanked her from the bed. Noticing her sister was still in her underwear, she shoved her out the door, knocking her into the wall and Christine fell down with a yelp.

"Half naked girl in the hall, boys, have at it," Ridley bellowed causing several heads to peek out of various doors. She slammed the door shut and locked it. Christine screamed and jumped up, pounding on the door. "Let me in you heinous, bitch!"

"Aw, but you didn't ask nicely," Ridley called back in a saccharine sweet voice. Reid shook his head at her. "Remind me never to piss you off again."

After several more minutes of listening to Christine beg from outside the room to let her in, Ridley finally opened the door and glared at her sister. "Now move your shit or, next time I lock you out, I'll make sure you're completely naked."

Christine glared back, but did as she was told and Ridley began to go through her clothes.

"Did you seriously walk down the hall in your underwear," Christine spat at her. Ridley rolled her eyes and pulled out a green tank top and denim skirt. "Uh yeah, it's not like all the boys at this school are virgins, so it shouldn't be a total shock to see a girl in her underwear."

"That's so cheap," Christine said, looking down her nose at her sister and Ridley shot back quickly, "Not as cheap as your hair color, sweetheart."

Ridley stared at her top for a moment and then threw it back into the closet, grabbing a black top with a plunging neckline and wandered into the bathroom with the clothes she had picked out.

"Where are you going?" Reid asked as he watched her change in the mirror.

"Everybody's going to Nicky's. Are you coming?"

"I loved Nicky's," Christine said excitedly and Ridley shot her a death glare. "You're not invited."

"Well, I am, so I'm inviting her." Reid said and Christine beamed up at him. Ridley rolled her eyes as she put on some gold hoop earrings. "Whatever, just start getting ready."

"You need a ride?" Reid asked and Ridley laughed. "Like I'd really ride in your dumpy jeep when I can ride in Tyler's Hummer."

"Tyler has a Hummer," Christine asked, her eyebrow's shooting up and Ridley stopped what she was doing to give her sister one of the scariest looks Reid had ever seen a girl give another girl. "Stay away from Tyler."

"Why, you two dating?" Christine asked, her interest piqued.

There was a knock on the door and Ridley ran over, opening it quickly. Tyler smiled at her. "You clean up nicely."

"Yes, I do," she said, looking him up and down. "You look good, too. I'm totally going to try to get into your pants tonight."

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you," he replied as she took his hand and led him out the door before Reid or Christine could say anything.

Ridley was quiet and Tyler felt something was bothering her. He squeezed her hand.

"I think Christine likes you," she said out of nowhere. Tyler looked at her for a long moment. "Huh."

"That's it?" She asked, stopping. Tyler shrugged. "What am I supposed to say?"

"That you hate her," she said, as if the answer should have been obvious. Tyler made a face. "I thought you already knew that."

Her anger subsided and they resumed walking. He opened the front door for her. "Why does it bother you anyway?"

She shrugged and looked down at the ground. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Tyler put his arm around her waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder as they crossed the parking lot. "I'm not going to get hurt. And even if I do, I'm quite resilient."

* * *

When Reid and Christine entered Nicky's there was an intense game of pool going on. It was Ridley, Tyler, and Burko against Aaron and two of his friends. Ridley was making the last shot, pocketing the eight ball successfully and all the drunken patrons cheered her. She extended her hand to Aaron smugly, "Pay up." 

He shoved nearly two-hundred bucks into her hand and she blew him a kiss before turning to walk back over to the group, her hips swaying seductively. She handed Sarah a twenty. "Get as many quarters as you want."

Sarah laughed and headed over to the bar. She looked Christine up and down and sniffed, causing Ridley to smile. This was going to be an interesting night. Kate immediately wrinkled her nose at Christine and grabbed Ridley. "Let's go pick out a song. Sarah doesn't always pick good ones."

They were too late; Sarah had already picked a song. Luckily, it was one they liked. As soon as Buckcherry's "Next to you" began to blare through out the bar, Ridley grabbed a tequila shot of a passing waitress's tray, downed it and jumped onto the dance floor with Kate and Sarah, all of them grinding into each other.

"_Coming to you honey on the east side runnin' and I ain't got time to waste.  
Jump into the car in the back seat lovin' but you're keeping me on the chase._

_I've been trying all night long, I put up with your favorite songs all night.  
Tempted by your tainted love, I surely like for you to come inside my crystal ball, what can I do?"_

"Why do they do this to us," Pogue groaned, "It makes me…."

Caleb chugged his beer, never taking his eyes of Sarah, "I know."

"So, Ridley moves pretty good," Pogue mused, "is she any good in bed?"

"You have no i-" Reid stopped himself when he realized Christine was glaring at him. He huffed. "Shit, get over it!"

Ridley pulled the cowboy hat off a nearby boy and put it on, shimmying up against him.

"_Is it true what they say you won't give it away?  
And I don't know what to do to get next to you, next to you.  
Every night, every day you just push me away.  
Tell me what should I do to get next to you, next to you?_

_I've been trying all night long and I wanna get next to you.  
I wrote about you baby in this song 'cause I wanna get next to you.  
Next to you!"_

Reid found himself next to her suddenly, unable to move away. Ridley grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Is my sister boring you?"

"Your sister doesn't dance like you," Reid whispered in her ear. Ridley pulled herself closer to him, moving perfectly in sync with him

"_Better than koolaid sweet my buttercup, baby's got a pretty face.  
I got to have it, it's another bad habit and I hope I'm not here too late_

_I've been trying all night long, I put up with your favorite songs all night.  
Tempted by your tainted love, I surely like for you to come inside my crystal ball, what can I do?_

_Is it true what they say you won't give it away?  
And I don't know what to do to get next to you, next to you.  
Every night, every day you just push me away.  
Tell me what should I do to get next to you, next to you?_

_I've been trying all night long and I wanna get next to you.  
I wrote about you baby in this song 'cause I wanna get next to you.  
Next to you!"_

"I think you're being very mean right now," Reid groaned as she began to grind into him.

"They're all being mean," Pogue said as he and Caleb danced with Kate and Sarah.

"Poor, horny boys," Sarah cooed at Caleb and him frowned.

"At least they don't hate you like Ridley hates me," Reid said, pouting. Ridley shrugged. "You started it."

"I did not," he said as her eyes darted over to where Tyler was busy teaching Christine to play pool. He was trying so hard to be nice and Christine was trying so hard to get him to flirt back. Christine looked up in their direction and her eyes narrowed when she saw the way she and Reid were dancing. An evil thought crept into her mind and she wrapped her arms around Reid's next looking up at him, her eyes half closed, and her lips puckered into a very irresistible pout. "Shut up and kiss me."

Reid obliged readily and Ridley could feel her sister burning holes into her with her eyes. They pulled away when they heard the sound of a pool cue slamming into the hard wood floor. Christine stormed out of Nicky's and Tyler shook his head at Ridley. She shrugged innocently and watched as Tyler followed Christine.

"I better go talk to her," Reid said sighing. "Or," Ridley said causing him to stop dead in his tracks, "you could take me home and we can wait till she gets back." She played with the hem of his shirt, her fingers lightly grazing the sensitive skin of his abdomen. "I'm sure we can find _something_ to-" Reid tugged on her urgently, almost causing her to fall as he led her out of Nicky's at high speed. Ridley smiled. _God, how predictable. Why do I still like this kid?_

* * *

"I can't believe she just did that," Christine howled, stomping her foot. Tyler shrugged. "Well, they kind of belong together." 

Christine scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Like any guy in his right mind would ever want to be with her. She's so fucked up."

"Well, so is he. It works," Tyler said, beginning to get snappish, "and I'm tired of having to watch them be miserable without each other, so leave them alone."

"You've always hated me," she said suddenly. "Why?"

Tyler actually thought about it for a while. "I don't know."

"That's stupid," she muttered, kicking a glass beer bottle across the parking lot.

Tyler frowned. "Why do you hate Ridley?"

She shrugged. "Well, that's stupid," he mocked and she started to laugh.

"She's not that bad once you get to know her," Tyler said gently.

Christine bit her lip and Tyler couldn't help but think about how cute she looked doing it. "I guess I'm just pissed of about the whole Reid thing."

"Well, do you still like him?"

"No, but it still bothers me," she said, sighing heavily, "but I guess I'll just have to get over it."

"Yeah." He shifted uneasily and rubbed the back of his head. "Do you want to go back inside or do you want a ride back."

"I'd like to go back but-"

"We can just hang out in my room if you want."

She eyed Tyler suspiciously and it reminded him of the way Ridley eyed Reid when she knew he was up to something. Tyler burst out laughing and Christine stared at him as if he were crazy. "I'm sorry," he laughed, "but you and Ridley act almost exactly the same."

When she only continued to stare at him he continued to laugh. "I promise I won't try anything. I'm not a horndog like Reid."

"Good." She breathed a sigh of relief and followed him to his Hummer.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Reid sat up quickly when he heard the shriek. "What? What?! What happened?!" 

Ridley began to push him out of the bed. "We're going to be late for class!"

Reid frowned and crossed his arms against his chest. "That's it? You woke me up for that?"

Ridley glared to him as she hurriedly pulled on her school uniform. There was no time for a shower. "Yes, now get ready."

She turned to the vacant bed beside hers. "Where is my sister?!"

"How should I know," Reid asked irritably as he caught the shirt Ridley threw at him. Ridley growled at him and stalked into the bathroom to do her make-up. They walked into class a half hour late and the professor rolled his eyes. "What's your excuse this time, Scott? Another emergency?"

Reid saw the sinister smile that began to creep onto her face and went to cover her mouth, but she slapped his hand away. "There was a fire in the stairwell and we had to have sex to put it out."

Reid couldn't help it. What she had said coupled with the look on everyone's face, especially the teacher's, was priceless. "It's true," he added, "it was huge, sex was the _only_ way."

"_Lots_ of sex," she continued. Ridley caught sight of Tyler and Christine staring at them dumbfounded and yelled up at them. "You totally should have been there. Flames and limbs everywhere."

Reid nodded with mock sincerity. "Really, it was huge."

"And hot," she added. The teacher turned bright red and pointed to the door. Ridley tilted her head at him as they walked out. "Does this mean we don't have homework?"

Everyone burst into laughter and several people clapped. Reid bowed and Ridley curtsied as the Professor closed the door in their faces.

"Well, I guess you get to see the lounge now," she said and Reid grinned, throwing an arm around her. "Guess so."

She grinned up at him mischievously. "I wonder if it's on fire."

* * *

**Is there going to be anymore Drama? Maybe...R&R por favor. Come on, you know you want to.**


	15. Talk

**I own nothing. **

* * *

Ridley stared suspiciously from her place in line at the cafeteria as Christine sauntered up to Reid and Tyler. She was a little bit relieved when both boys were also wearing looks of suspicion. 

"Uh, what is your sister doing," Kate asked, her voice full of venom. Kate did not like Christine. Especially, since Christine had flirted with Pogue right in front of her. Shit like that just did not fly.

Ridley groaned in frustration. "I don't know but it's putting a cramp in mine and Reid's sex life." She plucked an orange from the basket of fruit next to the register. "Like the other night, she said she needed to study so we went over to his place and he put his tie on the door, so you know, Tyler wouldn't walk in." She could feel her anger building. "What does the little bitch do? She comes over to borrow Tyler's calculus book. She doesn't even take calculus," she wailed. "Now I know how Reid feels when he gets cock-blocked."

"Are you guys even dating," Kate asked curiously. Ridley gave a look. "Reid date? Me date? Us date each other? Sure. It's all about the sex."

"Well, best get it while the getting's good." Kate noticed Christine turned her attention to Pogue as he approached and her eyes narrowed. "Can I strangle her please?"

"Not before I do," Ridley muttered as they went to sit down.

Everyone was already sitting down and Christine had sandwiched herself in between Reid and Tyler, which was Ridley's seat.

"Move, Barbie," Ridley barked and Christine turned to give her a smug smile. Ridley raised an eyebrow. "Naked in the hall," she reminded her and Christine practically jumped up. She had just sat down when Marcia Brady herself, Jenna Lawrence, a busty blonde senior slid up to the table.

"Still hasn't learned to close her legs I see," Ridley muttered and both Kate and Sarah who had been sitting next to Caleb quietly began to giggle. Jenna pretended not to notice. "Hi Reid," she said smoothly. He grinned at her, "Hey, Babe."

"No, you can't sleep with her," Ridley said adamantly, shaking her head and his face fell. "Why not?"

"Fine, sleep with her, but if you do I am so not ever letting you touch me again," she said as she sipped from her soda and ran her eyes over the length of Jenna's body, "no telling where she's been."

"Excuse me," Jenna asked in shock. Ridley shrugged, "Seriously, how many guys have you had sex with? Have you ever made a sex web?"

"Sex web," Pogue asked, raising an eyebrow. Ridley nodded, "you write down all the people you've ever had sex, then write down around their name who they've had sex with, and so on. So even though I've only ever slept with one person I'm still a slut by association. Kinda sad. I should have had better judgment," she said innocently as she sipped her soda.

"Eww," Tyler said, wrinkling his nose, "you're connected to every single person in this school except maybe me."

"See, this is why I didn't have sex with you," she said smiling at him, "so you wouldn't be a whore like us."

Tyler squeezed her shoulder and it didn't escape Kate and Sarah's notice how Reid frowned at it. Reid gazed up at Jenna with determined eyes, "You should come over tonight around eight."

Ridley turned and narrowed her eyes at him as if to say 'you have got to be kidding me.' Reid smiled at her innocently and her eyes narrowed even further. Jenna walked off with a pleased look on her face and Ridley punched Reid hard in the side, "You are such a fucking idiot sometimes."

She noticed her sister trying to get Pogue's attention and snapped suddenly, "Hey, Bambi, where's your boyfriend?"

"Who?"

Ridley grinned evilly. She had seen Aaron Abbot stalking out of their room early Sunday morning and it hadn't escaped her noticed that Kira Snider, Aaron's girlfriend, was sitting directly behind all of them within earshot. "You know, Aaron Abbot, the guy I saw leaving our room last Sunday morning."

Kira froze behind Christine and Ridley's smile grew. Without warning, Kira turned and dumped her tomato soup down the front of Christine's uniform and Ridley had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Christine narrowed her eyes at her sister and Ridley shrugged. "Shouldn't go around sleeping with other people's boyfriends. Especially assholes."

"You do it," Christine snapped and Ridley rolled her eyes. "Okay, you guys broke up. We've been over this. Also, I don't have to be nice and spare your feelings when you openly hit on my friends' boyfriends in front of me and them. I may be a bitch, but at least I'm loyal."

She began to peel her orange. "You know, maybe you'd make friends if you quit hanging around us, trying to bang all of the guys and learned to deal with the fact that you're not a great as you think you are."

Christine felt herself tear up as she stood and walked out of the cafeteria. Reid glared at her. "That was really mean."

Ridley gave him a look. "So I shouldn't have called her on it? I'm sorry if I'm sick of seeing her hit on Pogue and Caleb and you and Tyler every time I turn around. Obviously none of you want that so, I'm saving her some time."

"Well, I for one thank you," Kate said and Sarah nodded. Ridley shrugged. "Don't mention it."

* * *

Ridley sat next to Reid in the teacher's lounge, reading her reading assignment for Horror in Literature. Reid was busy playing Madden '07 and she snuggled further into the plush leather of the couch. When she felt him staring at her she looked up. 

"What exactly are we doing," he said solemnly. She flipped the page of her textbook. "Having fun, why?"

"Well, we go out, but we don't have sex," he said slowly and she replied, "That's because you slept with Jenna and I'm not sleeping with you until you get tested."

"So we are dating," he said just as slowly and she rolled her eyes. "If we were dating, I wouldn't have let you sleep with someone else. We wouldn't be on speaking terms anymore."

"So what are we?"

"Honestly," she said staring at him just as seriously. "We're nothing. Just friends who happen to sleep together sometimes."

"Just wondering," he muttered as he went back to his game and she sighed. "Look, I told you I'm not the dating type and we both know you're not the dating type, so why does it even matter?"

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Because if you were, you wouldn't have slept with Jenna," she snapped, shaking her head, "open relationships are pointless. It's having multiple fuck buddies and covering it up with a fancy title."

"So, you're saying, you're just fucking me until you find someone better?"

She rolled her eyes and shut her book for the second time. "No, I'm not looking. I'm not even sure I'm ready for a relationship. I'm a fucked up girl, Reid, and I don't intend to burden some guy with those problems. That wouldn't be cool of me."

The look on Reid's face was a mixture of disappointment and anger. Ridley bit down on her lip and gave him her most sultry pout. Reid tried not to notice the sexy look on her face, but he was failing miserable as she pushed him down on the couch and straddled him, letting her lips graze his. "You look upset."

"I'm….not…" he said breathing harder than usual. She nibbled his lower lip. "You're awfully cute when you're upset."

He felt her hand undo his belt buckle. "Too bad there's no way to lock the door without one of us getting up-"

Reid flipped her, crushing her into the couch as he looked up at the door with black eyes and the lock of the door clicked securely. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said in a husky voice, "it's so sexy when you take control of a situation and you start getting rough-"

Reid covered her mouth with his and she moaned into him. Reid had a feeling that he was trapped in her and unable to extricate himself. He was beginning to care way to much about her.


	16. Meet me by the Water

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Ridley had slipped up, though she doubted Reid had noticed. He had been too preoccupied with the fact that he had gotten some in the teacher's lounge. But she had noticed and that was what mattered. She had said she wouldn't sleep with him until he got tested and not five minutes later he had been on top of her, giving her some of the most amazing sex ever. Fuck, she was so stupid sometimes.

She felt Reid slither up beside her and put his arm over her shoulders as she headed down the hallway towards her last class. She shrugged him off. "What's your deal?"

"Not really your business," she said feeling a bit of relief as she saw Tyler walking towards them. Reid glared at her and darted a hateful glare towards Tyler. "Oh so I'm good enough to fuck, but not to talk to?"

Ridley leveled her eyes at him and shoved her books into his chest. "I don't have time to argue with you again. Just go to class and I'll be over at your place later."

"No," he snapped, grabbing her arms as she began to walk off. The look on her face told him she was somewhat surprised by his reaction. "We're talking about this now!"

"No, we're not," she yelled causing several people to turn around and stare at them. Most of the people were just curious as to what they were fighting about. Reid and Ridley had made it quite the habit to fight in public as often as possible. Ridley slapped him hard and he shoved her up against the lockers causing her to grunt. She was half pouting at him, half glaring. He grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her up to his lips kissing her hard. Ridley complied, her lips moving against his just a feverishly. She pulled away suddenly and frowned at him, something she had never done after kissing him. "Reid, we don't talk about things for a reason. Talking isn't what our relationship's about."

Before he could respond, she was headed towards Tyler, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a large kiss on his cheek. Reid felt sick to his stomach as he watched the two walk off. He never really understood what they did when they skipped class together. All he knew was it made him extremely jealous.

* * *

Ridley was trying hard to stay out of Tyler's view as she squirmed out of her pleated skirt and into the denim one in the backseat of his Hummer.

"Are you almost done," he asked impatiently, "I'm tired of driving at a snail's pace."

"I swear I'm almost done," she grunted as she pulled it up over her legs, trying not to topple into the floor boards as he rounded a turn.

"Tyler, what did I say last time you sped around a turn like that."

Tyler just looked at her in the rearview mirror and blew her a kiss that was reminiscent of the ones Reid blew her when she was getting on to him for being a prick. She glared at him. "Don't do that again."

"You still like him don't you," Tyler asked, becoming quiet and she climbed into the passenger seat. "No, I don't. I just like the sex."

"Uh-huh." He didn't believe her. He was silent for a moment as he watched her pull on her shoes. "You know," he said slowly, "you have him whipped."

"Right, me have Reid Garwin whipped. Fucking doubt that."

"I'm serious," he exclaimed, "That Jenna girl came over and he totally blew her off."

Ridley stared at him. "No, he didn't."

Tyler gave her a pointed look and she frowned as she climbed back into the passenger seat. "What?"

Tyler frowned back. "It should be obvious, Ridley."

"Don't, Tyler, I know where this is headed and I'm not going down that road," She adjusted her green tank top and looked over at him saying quietly, "I'm still not ready for life."

"Well, it doesn't stop just because you need a breather, in fact, I'm sure it moves faster."

She kissed him on the cheek. "You're the best."

"I know. That's why hot chicks like you get naked in the back of my car."

She punched his shoulder as they pulled up to Marblehead and stopped the car. They sat down, their legs dangling over the side and Tyler finally spoke. "Reid's birthday is in less than a month."

"Garwin, at eighteen," she mused. "wonder if he'll stop using."

"I think he would if you asked him to," Tyler said honestly, "he may not act like it, but he does care a lot about you."

"The only thing Reid Garwin cares about is sex and you guys," she said, looking at the water below them, "and I don't think anything will ever change that."

"So, are you going to be there for his birthday?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. He never said anything about it."

"That's probably because of your no talking policy."

She raised an eyebrow. "It's a good policy."

"For you maybe, but not for him," Tyler hugged her close to him and said in a quiet voice, "you know I think it really hurts him when you won't talk to him about things."

"It's his turn to hurt, Tyler," she said, standing up, "I'm tired of being the one who he hurts."

"If you care about someone it hurts you when they hurt."

He was right and she almost hated him for it. Tyler had been right about a lot of things lately and it was starting to get to her. Was she that easy to read? Ridley didn't go to swim practice even though Tyler had asked her to. She knew if she did, Tyler would expect her to talk to Reid and that was just something she was not ready for. She wasn't sure she would ever be ready to.

* * *

Reid needed to think and he thought best when swimming. Something about it calmed him. However, it was too late to be traipsing through the woods to his secret place. Going there hadn't been an option in the first place because now every time he went there all he could think of was Ridley and that always made it worse. The pool would have to do. The pool had been closed for the night, but using a little power and the locked clicked open just fine. He was surprised, however, to find Ridley sitting on the edge of the diving board, dangling her feet into the water with a pensive expression gracing her face. Something she thought must have made her angry because she let out a low growl and kicked at the water, worrying her lower lip. Reid let the door close loudly behind him and Ridley whipped her head around to see who it was. The expression on her face told him he was the last person she wanted to see. She looked back down at the water. "Garwin," she greeted in a tired voice.

He pulled off his shirt and sweats, sliding into the pool silently. Maybe if he didn't acknowledge her, she would go away. When he surfaced she was still there staring at the ripples he created in the water.

"Do you ever wonder if one day things will be how you think they're supposed to be?"

He was taken aback. When he didn't answer and she continued. "Like maybe all the shit you've been through will finally make sense in some messed up way and you'll be fine; you'll be fixed."

He continued to just stare at her. She looked back down at the water. "I keep waking up and wondering each day if that day will be it-when things will finally make sense, but it never happens. I keep waiting and waiting for someone to fix it because I know I sure as hell can't and I'm fucking tired of trying."

"Nothing's perfect, Ridley," he said quietly, watching her pick at her dark purple nail polish as she kicked her feet back and forth slowly, "it's not supposed to be."

"Do you ever wish it were?"

"I wish for a lot of things," he said cryptically and she tilted her head at him questioningly, but he refused to answer, saying instead, "you don't need fixing, Ridley. You're fine the way you are."

A small smile appeared on her face. "Reid Garwin, did you just give me a compliment?"

"If you tell anybody, I'll deny it." He smiled at her. "But yeah, I did."

"Does it bother you that we don't talk like this," she asked, "does it bother you that I talk to Tyler and not you?"

_Yes. _"No."

She nodded and they fell into an awkward silence. "I don't get you," she said suddenly, sounding a little angry, "you act one way and then the next minute you're this whole other person-this person that doesn't make sense. Like one minute your trying to rip all my clothes off and then the next you want to have a 'Dear Abby' moment and I don't understand why."

"Maybe it's because we just have sex and then you leave," he snapped back, "kind of makes me feel like trash."

"Well, now you know how I felt back then," she said softly and he felt that strange pain in his chest once again.

"Did it really hurt you that bad?"

She leveled her eyes at him. "Have you ever had to tell someone you can't be with them because you love them and you know they don't feel the same way? Have you ever had the one person you want most in the world watch you walk away from them and not try to stop you?"

He didn't know what to say. "Well, it sucks, but I got over it for the most part. I don't even hate you for it." She started to stand and Reid tried to tug her to sit back down. She toppled into the water and came up glaring. "Damn it, Garwin, what the hell-"

Reid kissed her gently. "Ridley, I-"

She pushed him away. "Please, Reid, don't say anything, okay?"

His heart was throbbing painfully. It made him angry. "Why?"

"Because you'll ruin everything," she whispered, swimming away from him.

"Ruin everything," he laughed coldly, "yeah because everything's so perfect now! Anytime I try to say anything to you, you push me away! When I'm just trying to tell you-"

"Stop," she yelled as she pulled herself out of the pool, "I don't want to hear some stupid lie."

"I'm not trying to lie to you," he yelled back. "I'm trying to tell you the truth."

Ridley ran out through the door and down the hallway as fast as she could. She hurriedly unlocked her dorm room door and slammed it shut behind her, breathing heavily. Christine rolled over in bed and shot her a glare. "Some of us are trying to sleep-"

Her eyes widened when she noticed how wet Ridley was and how much she was shaking. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Ridley felt herself sliding down the doorframe to the floor. She didn't even notice when Christine came to sit in front of her. "Ridley? Ridley, are you okay?"

There was a loud bang on the door and Christine jumped.

"Ridley, please, I just want to talk to you," Reid yelled from the other side. Ridley looked to Christine pleadingly and she nodded, whispering, "go hide in the bathroom."

"Ridley!"

Christine opened the door a crack. "She's not here, Reid. I haven't seen her since school let out. So would you go so I can get back to sleep?"

She went to close the door and he stuck hi his hand out, a sad look on his face as he said in a quiet voice. "Would you make sure she's okay? I know she's in there. Would you just-"

He paused, trying to figure out what to say. "Take care of her okay?"

Christine stared up at him in surprise and nodded. She watched him walk down the hall slowly, hanging his head.


	17. Birthday Blow Out

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Ridley was slumped over the toilet retching when Christine came into the half bathroom. Ridley leaned back against the wall and sighed. Christine wetted a washcloth and threw it to her. "I swear, Reid Garwin is such a douchbag," she muttered as she watched Ridley wiped her face. Ridley shook her head and sniffled slightly. "He didn't do anything. He was actually being really nice." 

"That's a first," Christine snorted and Ridley smiled. "I suppose."

Christine stared down at the mosaic tiles of the bathroom floor. "You know he never looked at me the way he looks at you."

Ridley didn't say anything as she rubbed her smeared makeup off her face. Christine leaned over and flushed the toilet.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch to you," Ridley said quietly. Christine shrugged. "I deserved it. I wasn't exactly trying to get on your good side."

Ridley groaned and covered her face with her hand. "I seriously wish I could just erase the past couple of years from my life."

"Boys suck," Christine agreed, "it never gets easier."

Ridley shook her head. "He just-god, I hate him so much sometimes."

"And other times?" Christine asked.

Ridley let out a small growl. "Other times he just annoys me slightly."

"Look," Christine said, turning towards her, "I really never cared that you two were together. I was just jealous because I saw something in you two that is just more than right. You guys just-you don't belong apart."

Ridley laughed and Christine frowned. "What?"

"We don't belong together anymore," she said sadly, "maybe if things were different. If certain things hadn't happened, then maybe….but-"

"What happened, Ridley?" Christine asked gently and Ridley shook her head, trying hard to forget. She bit her lip as she tried hard not to cry. "Just promise me, Christine, that you'll stay as far away from Dad as possible."

"Ridley-" Christine began in a worried and confused tone and Ridley shook her head. "Promise me, you have to promise me!"

Christine nodded quickly and pulled her in to hug her. "I promise."

After Ridley had finished crying and wiped her eyes she looked at her sister. "Look, I still don't really like you-"

Christine started to laugh. She and Reid were too much alike. "I get it, I get it."

"Truce?" Ridley asked, sticking out her hand and Christine nodded, taking it. "Truce."

"And if you tell anyone anything I just told you, I swear I will kill you!" Ridley said, standing up, leaving Christine on the bathroom floor alone and giggling.

* * *

It was here. His eighteenth birthday had finally arrived and he was nervous. Ridley was coming. All he could think of as he had driven to his parent's house was that she was coming. He pulled at his tie. It felt too tight. Tyler's Hummer was in the drive way when he arrived and he could feel himself getting more and more nervous by the second. By the time he opened the front door he was on the verge of having a panic attack. Ridley was the first one to greet him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "Happy Birthday!" 

"Thanks," he said in confusion. She hadn't talked to him in over two weeks and now this? What was going on? "I have a surprise for you," she said excitedly, "but you can't have it until after your whole Ascension thingy. Come on, let's go see the others."

Reid let her drag him into the dining room where everyone was. He was more than a little surprised to see Christine sitting next to Kate and Sarah, but they seemed to be okay with the situation. That surprised him even more. Reid sat down next to his father, James, and across from his mother, Lydia. They smiled at him proudly, but he noticed the glint of fear in his eyes.

"Reid, nice to see you haven't become punctual," James said to his son, jokingly. Reid smiled and shrugged at his father. The rest of the dinner passed in amiable small talk. After his parents had given him his present, a brand new Hummer just like Tyler's for the sole purpose of keeping him from stealing Tyler's he was sure, Ridley practically dragged him out of the house and into his brand new car.

"What are you on?" Reid asked as he started the car. She rolled her eyes. "Just shut up. We're going to the coffee shop."

"The coffee shop? _That's_ your surprise?"

She rolled her eyes again. "No, but we're going to go get coffee so shut up and drive."

"You're so bossy," he grumbled and she smiled. "But you love it, Garwin."

He frowned. "Not really."

"Sure," she laughed.

Once there, they both got cups of coffee; black, no sugar. She held out an envelope to him, grinning wickedly. He took it from her suspiciously and opened it. It was handmade coupon. "One free talk whenever you want," Reid read out loud, raising an eyebrow.

"That's just a part of the surprise. A tiny part."

"Since when do you ever want to talk?"

She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm not really ready to talk about everything, but it's your birthday and I wanted to do something special for you. I mean, I may hate you sometimes, but it's still you, Garwin, and I can't always hate you."

He broke out in his trademark smirk. "Does this mean you like me?"

She eyed him. "Not with that look on your face and I never said I like you. I just find you very tolerable at times."

"Right," he laughed and they finished their coffees.

"What time is it?" she asked and he looked at the clock on his cell phone. "9:45."

"Shit, we have to go," She squealed grabbing his hand. When she climbed into the backseat instead of the passenger seat he raised an eyebrow. She gave him a look. "I have to change."

"Where are we going?"

"Uh, The Dells," she said, yanking her top over her head. Reid stared at her in the rearview mirror.

"Eyes on the road, asshole," she snapped. When he looked back a few minutes later, she was wearing a black long sleeved top, faded jeans and her severely worn black converse. She looked hot. Reid tried hard to concentrate on the road. He felt something warm brush his neck. "Oh my god, Ridley, stop it."

He could feel her smiling as she continued to kiss him, biting his neck playfully. He growled. "I swear to god I will pull this car over."

She nuzzled him one last time and climbed into the passenger side seat. She was frowning. He rolled his eyes. "Oh now what are you pissed off about?"

"I was only being affectionate because I thought you looked so cute," she said, pouting.

"Oh, don't start," He groaned, speeding up as they turned onto Old Dell road.

"But, Reid," she said, leaning close to him as she slid her hand under his shirt. "Ridley, stop," he pleaded as he pulled the car to a stop, not noticing the cars surrounding theirs.

"Reid," she said again as he jumped out of the car and came to her side, pulling her out of the car and tossing her over his shoulder. "Ugh, Reid, put me down."

He did as she asked and leveled his eyes at her. "This better be a good surprise."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for what had to be the most arousing kiss he had ever had. "It is I promise."

He grabbed a hold of her as she started to walk away and grinned. "Now, Babe, you can't just go and kiss a guy like that and expect-"

She jumped on him and he began to stagger down the hill, holding her to him as he kissed her.

"Happy Birthday, Reid!" He heard several hundred people scream and he pulled away from Ridley quite reluctantly. She unwound herself from him and smiled. "Told you it was a good surprise."

More than half the students from Spenser's were there as was all their friends. Burko's band, Hatchet 66, was playing on a makeshift stage. Ridley was pulling her fingerless gloves on behind him. "Sorry, Garwin, I've got drum duty." She twirled one of the drumsticks in her hand and winked at him. "See you later."

"Didn't Ridley do a great job?" Sarah asked, yelling over the music. Reid smiled. "Yeah, she really did."

"Totally last minute so you wouldn't hear about it," Sarah continued. Reid shook his head. "I didn't even think she would be coming."

"She almost didn't" someone chimed in and Reid turned to see Christine standing meekly behind him. "I talked her into it."

"Thanks," Reid said, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice. Christine shrugged and wandered of into the crowd. "Don't mention it."

"Okay, it's Ridley's turn to sing," Burko said into the microphone suddenly and they could all see Ridley freeze behind the drum set, shaking her head at Burko as Davis and Brett shoved her to the front of the stage.

"Man, she looks pissed," Pogue said and Caleb laughed. "Burko's so dead."

Ridley adjusted the guitar strap and glared at Burko as he whispered something in her ear and walked off stage. She bit her lip and looked back at Brett who was sitting down behind the drums and he nodded to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and began to play, trying hard not to look at her friends.

"_I tried to be perfect,  
But nothing was worth it,  
I don't believe it makes me real.  
I thought it'd be easy,  
But no one believes me,  
I meant all the things I said._

_If you believe it's in my soul,  
I'd say all the words that I know,  
Just to see if it would show,  
That I'm trying to let you know,  
That I'm better off on my own._

_This place is so empty,  
My thoughts are so tempting,  
I don't know how it got so bad.  
Sometimes it's so crazy,  
that nothing can save me,  
But it's the only thing that I have._

_If you believe it's in my soul,  
I'd say all the words that I know,  
Just to see if it would show,  
That I'm trying to let you know,  
That I'm better off on my own.  
On my own!_

_I tried to be perfect,  
It just wasn't worth it,  
Nothing could ever be so wrong.  
It's hard to believe me,  
It never gets easy,  
I guess I knew that all along._

_If you believe it's in my soul,  
I'd say all the words that I know,  
Just to see if it would show,  
That I'm trying to let you know,  
That I'm better off on my own."_

She set the guitar down careful and jumped down from the stage, shifting uneasily under everyone's gaze. "I seriously wrote that, like forever ago…"

"Uh-huh," Kate said, smirking. "Try like two months ago tops."

"Three," Ridley snapped. Kate held up her hands. "I thought it was good."

Ridley smiled, "Yeah, I know."

Sarah punched her in the arm playfully. "So cocky."

Ridley was very much aware of the way Reid was staring at her intently and she tried desperately to ignore it. Unfortunately, their friends were keen on preventing that. They were all "parched" and headed of to get drinks in one giant herd. Ridley rolled her eyes heavenward and stared after them in exasperation. He nudged her and she turned to see him holding up something well crinkled and worn. "I thought maybe you'd want this back."

Ridley stared at him in confusion, taking it from him. When she flipped it around her stomach fluttered slightly and she cursed it silently. It the picture she had thrown at him last year; the one she had said she didn't want and Ridley was finding that she treasured it more than anything else in the world. Ridley felt her eyes water as she continued to stare at the photograph and Reid began to chatter nervously, "I'm sorry it's in such bad shape, it's just that I've been keeping it in my wallet and I'm not that into pictures anyway so..." _How can I be so stupid,_ she thought bitterly, staring down at the photograph, _he'll never change. He'll always be the self-absorbed asshole I fell in love with. _She wanted for it to be the way it had been-she wanted to go back to naively thinking that in some miraculous way, true love did exist and womanizers like Reid Garwin would turn into Prince charmings at the drop of a hat. She could feel herself beginning to shake slightly.

"Ridley," he asked in concern and she shook her head sniffling. "I'm fucking fine."

"No, you're not. You're crying," he snapped. She held out the picture to him, refusing to look up at him. "I told you I didn't want this."

"Fine," he snapped, taking it from her and crumpling it up before throwing it down in the sand. He stormed off leaving her to stare at the balled up picture. After several moments of staring at it, she finally picked it up and unfolded it. She had been so happy in that picture. But it had all been an illusion because happiness wasn't real and she had been stupid for thinking it was. She balled her fist, crinkling it even more and stalked off into the night. It had taken her nearly three and a half hours to trudge all the way to Spenser Academy and, once there, she had sat down on the steps and smoked a cigarette, biting her nails. She hated birthdays.

* * *

**Poor Reid and Ridley with their little tiffs...yeah sorry for the long break in updates but I was having a minor case of writer's block. Gotta love it. Anyway, if the next chapter is long in coming it maybe because school is kicking my ass and totally sucking the creativity out of me. All hail the mighty term paper. R&R please. **


	18. Beauty in the Breakdown

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Ridley sat at the picnic table, her head resting on one arm as she held the picture out in front of her. 

"I have half a mind to burn that fucking thing," Bruko said, pulling it out of her hand as he sat down across from her. He flicked the picture back at her and she glared at it before shoving it into the pocket of her blazer. "I hate high school."

"How can you sit out here? It's freezing," Burko said, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. She smiled and ruffled his meticulously styled hair, much to Burko's chagrin. "I'm a fucking polar bear, that's how. What are you doing tonight?"

"Same old, same old. Playing pool with Reid and Tyler over at Nicky's," he said, grinning at her annoyed expression, "I guess that means you're stuck at my place playing drums for hours on end."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault I have so much pent up anger."

"More like pent up sexual frustration," he snorted, "seriously, just go find Reid and fuck him. You'll feel better."

"Fuck Reid," someone called behind her before letting out a short laugh, "that's the last thing she needs."

Ridley smiled at Kate as she sat down next to her. "Thank you."

"Who she needs to fuck is Tyler," Kate continued, causing Ridley to groan and bury her face in her folded arms. "Seriously, think about it, that boy totally needs a good fucking."

"We are seriously not talking about this," Ridley cried. "Talking about what?" Sarah asked as she and Caleb wandered over. Ridley growled and banged her head on the table when Kate said more than a little too loudly, "Ridley fucking Tyler."

"You had sex with Tyler," Sarah practically screamed, causing several students who were passing to turn to stare at the group. Ridley slammed her hand down on the table. "No, I did not have sex with Tyler nor am I planning on it. Shit, you guys are freaking insane."

Ridley stood up, huffing slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

"Like what," Burko asked pointedly. Ridley narrowed her eyes. "None of your business."

"You're skipping school to go beat on your drums because you're too chicken shit to tell Reid that he's being a bitch and you're too much of a bitch to admit that you're being a chicken shit," Burko replied, raising his eyebrow at her, "tell me how this isn't any of my business."

Ridley stomped on the ground like a child for a few moments to their amusement before storming off to the dorm to grab a few things. She kicked open the door roughly, muttering curses the entire time when she noticed two bodies writhing in her sister's bed.

"Don't mind me," she snapped, throwing several things into a duffle bag, "at least somebody's getting some."

"Ridley?!"

Ridley rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah, who else would it be?"

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

Ridley shouldered her duffle bag and glowered at her sister. "Uh, if you haven't noticed you and uh," she pointed at the form hiding under the covers, "should uh, probably be in class, too."

Her eyes slit suspiciously. "Christine, who is in bed with you?"

Christine shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner. "No one you know."

"Christine," she said through clenched teeth, "I swear to God, it better not be Tyler."

Christine made a face. "Why would I sleep with Tyler?"

"When you can," she heard familiar voice mutter under the covers, and Ridley was seeing red. It took her several minutes to realize the screaming she was hearing was her own as she jerked back the covers to find an extremely shocked and naked Reid staring up at her.

She stared at him for several seconds before erupting into another screaming fit. Reid toppled out of the bed, simultaneously pulling on his boxers and his jeans. She continued to scream well after he had left the room, breathing raggedly. She slowly began to pace back and forth. Christine moved ever so slightly and then Ridley pounced, dragging her towards the door.

"No, Ridley, no, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Ridley kicked her hard, shoving her out into the hallway completely naked. "You so totally did. You're lucky I don't fucking kill you, you fucking slut!"

Ridley pulled the door shut behind her, making sure it was locked. Christine was trying desperately to cover her naked body with her hands, aware that the people who had been walking from their rooms to their classes had stopped.

"Ridley, please, my keys are in there, I can't get in!"

"That's the idea," Ridley snapped as she began to walk down the hallway, flipping Christine off in the process. Reid was suddenly in front of her. "Ridley, you need to just calm down-"

Ridley didn't let him finish, planting one strong fist on his jaw, knocking him back into the wall. "You," she breathed out hard, "don't get to talk to me _ever again._"

She stepped over his legs and continued down the hall, ignoring all the shocked looks.

* * *

Ridley had no concept of time. She wasn't sure how long she had been laying in that strange bed next to that strange yet attractive boy who was just as strung out as she was. Was she even in Burko's house anymore? Probably not. For all she knew she was in Canada or Germany; somewhere far away from Reid Garwin. Ridley pushed herself up slowly, rubbing her eyes and smearing her black eyeliner. 

She stood up slowly, letting the cool air lick her naked body. She pulled on her clothes slowly and nearly fell over when she tripped over another naked body. _Shit_, she thought, closing her eyes as she berated herself. There were naked bodies everywhere and chances were she had slept with more than one of them. Ridley exhaled sharply as she tip toed out of the room and down the stairs to the front door. The frigid air felt good on her burning skin and Ridley quickly climbed into her car and started the engine, speeding off in the direction of the nearest place that sold coffee. That place, unfortunately, was Nicky's. Before getting out of the car, she fixed her make up reapplying it where needed and fussed with her hair until it didn't look so disheveled.

Nicky raised an eyebrow when he saw her. "You do realize it's almost two in the morning. Shouldn't you be asleep at home?"

She slid onto one of the bar stools and groaned, rubbing her throbbing forehead. "Well, when I woke up this morning, I wasn't exactly in my bed."

"Nice, Ridley," he laughed, pouring her a cup of coffee knowingly and she smiled. "You know the boys have been pulling an all nighter."

Ridley groaned inwardly as she turned to see both Reid and Tyler staring at her curiously. She smiled weakly at Tyler and then flipped Reid off.

"Lover's quarrel," Nicky asked as he wiped down a beer mug and Ridley snorted. "If you call walking in on him fucking my sister a quarrel, then yes."

"Ouch," Nicky said, setting down the glass and pouring her a shot of 151. She held out a twenty and he waved her off. "They're on the house tonight."

Four shots later, and Ridley was feeling good. She was also having trouble seeing things clearly. Nicky laughed when Ridley held up her hand in front of her, attempting to focus in on it several times. "I'm a lousy drunk, Nippy."

"I think you mean Nicky, Babe," Tyler said, sliding into the seat next to her. Ridley eyed him strangely. "You look different."

"I look the same as I always do, Ridley," he said laughing. Ridley downed another shot and Nicky sighed. "Think you can get her home, Tyler?"

Ridley rolled her eyes and began to stand. "I am perfectly, capapable of getting myshelf home."

The second she was on her feet she began to teeter and Tyler leaned in to catch her, guiding her to the door. "Bye, Nicky," he called over his shoulder.

Ridley stuck her tongue out at Reid who was watching them from the pool table and leaned into Tyler. "You're so great. I fucking love you."

"I fucking love you, too," he muttered as he dug his keys out of his pocket.

By the time they reached Spenser's-Tyler had decided she should stay with him in case she got sick- Ridley had begun to mumble more and more incoherently.

Tyler let go of her and Ridley flopped down on the edge of his bed. "I mean, you're probably the greatest guy ever and I know tons of girls who think you're totally hot."

"God, you just don't shut up, do you?" he asked as he threw her a bottle of cold water. She stuck her tongue out at him and took the aspirin he handed her, gulping down some of the water. "I was just being honest."

"Well, you can stop," he said, sitting down next to her, "and you're not being as honest as you think you are."

"Whatever," she muttered, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. Tyler put a hand on her shoulder and she felt herself lean into him unintentionally. "I just don't feel good enough for anyone. I never have, but now even more so. I just-I get it now."

"Ridley, maybe he-"

"Maybe he what? Did it because he was confused? Lonely? He did it because it's who he is," she snapped, pulling away, "and I'm tired of thinking shit like this will stop happening to me."

"But it will."

She smiled at him weakly and wrapped her arms around him. "Tyler, I don't know why you stick by me. It's ridiculous."

He hugged her back. "I can't help it."

Ridley kissed his cheek gently before making the mistake of looking into his intense blue eyes. They felt themselves being drawn towards one another, unable to stop themselves. Their lips met slowly in an innocent kiss and when Ridley pulled away first all she could think was how right it felt.

* * *

**Sorry for the longer than expected absence, but someone key logged my computer, so I had to reinstall everything on it, and since its so old, it died...so now i'm reduced to writing only whenever i have any time whatsoever. but here it is nonetheless. review and tell me what you think please. **


	19. Team Casey?

**I own nothing. I also sincerely apologize for the wait**

* * *

It was official. Someone up there hated her. Both Reid and Tyler were burning holes in the back of her head with their equally intense stares and she felt like screaming. Was it her fault they liked her? No. Was it her fault she was giving them the go ahead everytime they made a move? Yes. _Why am I so fickle,_ she groaned inwardly as she slid further down in her seat between Pogue and Caleb.

"What'd you do now," Caleb whispered in his big brother voice. "Nothing," she said through gritted teeth, "just kissed Tyler is all."

"You what," Caleb cried, causing the room to fall into silence as every person turned to stare at the three. Ridley groaned again, covering her face with her hands. "Pogue," she said in a muffled voice, "could you, like, turn me invisible, or like, incinerate me or something? Cause you Sons are fucking complicated to be around with your feelings and Caleb's yelling and Reid's being a whore and Tyler's being nice and I just-make it stop."

"I would if I could, Dollface, but it doesn't quite work that way," Pogue laughed as Caleb cleared his throat and muttered an embarrassed sorry to the teacher.

Burko, who was sitting in the row bellow them leaned back and said in a low voice, "you still digging that ditch, Ridley? It's getting awfully deep."

"If I'm lucky, I'll be in China by nightfall," she quipped back, sending all three boys into a fit of laughter.

"Look, Reid's a dick," Caleb said, slowly as if he were trying not to be blunt, "a really big one, but he does actually like you...a lot."

"Yeah, well nothing says 'I love you, Ridley' like sleeping with my sister," she said dryly as she began doodling a very detailed heart with a sword through it. "I mean a man like that is just what every girl hopes of one day marrying. I can't wait until both me and my sister have his children so that not only will they be cousins, they'll be brothers and sisters."

Pogue and Burko snorted with unbridled laughter and the professor glared at her, "Miss Scott, is there something you would care to share with the rest of the class?"

Ridley blinked and Caleb hissed at her, but she ignored him. "Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Um, okay?" he said in surprise, stuttering slightly.

"Mr. Randolph if you liked a woman, and I mean really liked a woman," she said, emphasising each word. Pogue groaned, "Oh, God."

Ridley ignored him. "Would sleeping with her sister be the way to convey this? Because to me it doesn't exactly cry out 'you are my everything' to me it reeks of 'I'm a big, fat manwhore'. What do you think?"

Mr. Randolph stuttered for a few moments in shock and she continued. "Because I was under the impression that when a guy likes someone they show it by buying them flowers or something- not that I'm all into flowers and that mushy stuff- and that they make it a point not to sleep with anyone, let alone the people you're closely related to-Ow!"

Ridley rubbed the back of her head where some unseen force had tugged rather roughly at her dark hair. She turned in her chair to find Reid glaring at her and Tyler frowning.

"Miss Scott!"

Ridley sighed. "I know, I know, go to the teacher's lounge," she sighed as the other students began to laugh, after the initial shock of her words had finally worn off. She piled her notebooks and books together and stood. "Can I take them with me," she asked, pointing to the three boys surrounding her, "they were being disruptive, too."

Burko raised his hand. "If it helps in your decision making, Parry and I were planning on heckling you after she left and I'm still really hungover from the party at our house last night."

Caleb smacked the back of Burko's head and Pogue began to laugh.

Mr. Randolph shook his head. "Just go, all of you!"

"Yes, cookies!" Burko exclaimed as he climbed over two rows and over two different girls. He turned on the lecturn and leered down at one, extending his hand, "Hi, I'm Burko. I enjoy long walks on the beach, the poetry of one Robert Frost, and-"

"Burko, later," Ridley snapped, as she yanked him off the tabled top to the floor, "think of the cookies."

"Out!" Mr. Randolph bellowed. Caleb shoved Pogue out the door hard and motioned for Burko and Ridley to follow suit with a very angry glare.

"You," Caleb sputtered indignantly at Ridley, "I have never been thrown out of class before."

Ridley rolled her eyes. "It's not a big deal. We just go to the office and say I was being obnoxious and then all that will happen is they'll give a us cookies and a pat on the head. Then we're free to do whatever we want. Don't be such a Debbie Downer, Caleb."

Pogue patted his shoulder. "Dude, Kate got sent to the office with her last week. They really do give her a pat on the head and cookies."

Burko nodded in agreement. "Sometimes there's hugging."

"Yeah, they find my obnoxious attitude endearing," Ridley said, beaming up at Caleb, "you have to admit, I am endearing."

"You are obnoxious," Caleb said, finally smiling at her, "maybe that's why Reid likes you."

She frowned. "Sounds to me like you're on 'Team Garwin'."

"There's teams now?" Pogue moaned and Ridley nodded sadly. "Kate and Sarah are on 'Team Simms'. Actually every girl who's asked me about it is on 'Team Simms'."

"Whose team are you on?" Burko asked as he held open the door to the office. Ridley shrugged. "I'm on the team of the guy who stops being such a pansy and owns up to his feelings."

"Tyler kissed you," Pogue pointed out. Ridley made a face. "Two weeks ago. Then proceeded to ignore me. The one time I give him the go ahead to be forward and he totally wimps out. It's enough to turn a girl into an asexual."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Is that possible?"

"Ridley!" The secretaries squealed. Sherri burst forth from her desk chair with a tin of fresh chocolate chip cookies. "What did you do this time, honey? Did you make Kira cry again?"

"No, that's not until after lunch," Ridley said as she helped herself to the cookies along with Burko. Sherri held the tin out to Pogue and he mumbled a quiet thank you as he helped himself as well.

"You get these two into trouble, too?" Sherri laughed and Ridley smiled proudly. "When don't I get into trouble."

"Honey, just go on and take the boys into the lounge with you for your time out," Lynette called from her station, smiling over her computer monitor, "and I'll bring you in some brownies when I'm finished with this memo."

"Okay, thanks," Ridley said as she gestured for Pogue and Caleb to follow her.

"You weren't lying about the awesomeness of this room," Pogue marveled as they slipped into the lounge. Mr. Canan was sitting in one of the lazyboys watching a football game.

"Do you ever go to class?" Burko asked him, as they knocked hands and Mr. Canan grinned. "Do you?"

"On occasion," Burko laughed as he settled in on the couch. Mr. Canan tossed him one of the Xbox controllers.

"You know," Caleb said in an almost shocked voice, "I'm beginning to think you, Reid, and Burko are on to something with the whole getting kicked out of class thing."

True to her word, Ridley made Kira cry during last period and both Caleb and Pogue made sure they were kicked out of class as well, expecting to be taken to the lounge. Instead, after stopping by the secretaries, where they were each given a handful of cookies and brownies, they then headed out to the back of the building.

"What about Xbox?" Pogue whined and Ridley rolled her eyes. "You have an Xbox."

"So," Pogue and Caleb said in unison and Ridley snorted. "I'm taking you to my other favorite hideout."

"What's that?"

"We're going to the maintenance crew's shed."

Caleb wrinkled his nose. "Why?"

"Free beer and poker," Ridley replied. "It's where I go to get away from Tyler and Reid."

"So they don't know about this?" Caleb asked, suddenly feeling very priviledged.

"Nope," Ridley said as they made their way to the large yet run down tine building next to the track field.

"When did you start going here?"

Ridley lit a cigarette and sighed. "Night of Reid's birthday party. Adam offered me a beer and invited me back to the shed to play poker with the rest of the guys on shift, so I took him up on it. Been going there every now and then when I feel kind of stressed. Just don't tell anyone."

"Hey, I am all about the free beer, Ridley," Pogue said with a laugh, "your secret's safe with us."

"Good."

Three six packs between the three of them later and they were rolling in laughter. The tin shed was filled with a dark cloud of smoke as the maintenance crew puffed on their cigars around the card table. Caleb was sure he was crying. "You should have seen Mr. Randolph's face!"

"He always was a stiff," chuckled Martin, an older man with gray hair. Pogue nodded. "I'd say that's the most fun I've ever had in calculus."

"I'd say that's the most fun anyone's had in a math class," Martin muttered as he threw down his hand, "I'm out, too."

"Whoo!" Ridley called as she threw down her cards, "straight in diamonds, I win!"

"Not so fast, Baby."

Adam, one of the biggest men Caleb and Pogue had ever seen in their lives threw down his hand, smirking at her as he blew out a ring of cigar smoke. "Full house."

The men around the table whistled. Caleb and Pogue suddenly felt like they were missing out on something. "So, you won the pot."

"That ain't all I won," he snickered as he took a drink from his beer, "this here woman promised that whoever beat her at poker would get whatever they wanted from her."

"What," Pogue yelped, bolting upright and turning to Ridley, "you didn't!"

However, Ridley was staring at Adam intently, an unreadable expression on her face. "I did."

Adam stared her down with piercing blue eyes. "You gonna follow through with that little promise of yours?"

She grinned at him. "You know I am."

"Ridley-"

"Shut up, Caleb," she snapped, never taking her eyes off Adam, "I keep my word no matter what."

"You've got that 'I'm going to do something stupid' look," Caleb sighed.

"So, Major, mind telling me what exactly it is you've won?"

Adam leaned back and scratched his goatee, his smirk growing with each passing moment, "No, I'm thinkin' I'll let you stew in suspense for a while."

"That's a bit cruel don't you think?"

"Naw," he laughed, "I find it rather cunning."

Ridley found herself grinning just as madly as he was.

"You guys do know how much trouble you could get in if the school found out about this, right?"

"Caleb, he doesn't work for the school," Ridley said, rolling her eyes.

Caleb made a face. "Then why the hell are you hanging around here?"

"He's my nephew," Martin spoke up, "comes over from time to time to check up on this doddering old man."

"He's a Marine," Ridley practically purred.

Ridley had seen Major Adam Casey on several occasions around Ipswich and on campus with Martin. Each time, he had smiled and winked at her and each time she had had to fight the blush had crept up onto her face. It wasn't until the night of Reid's birthday party while she had been sitting on the steps of the building smoking that he had first spoken to her in his deep gravelly voice. He was the main reason she had never brought anyone to the maintenance shed. He was the stuff schoolgirl crushes were made of and she wasn't about to share it with Kate or Sarah, let alone the rest of the female student body. She hadn't expected him to be there when she brought Caleb and Pogue as he had been frequenting the campus less and less as of late.

Adam threw her a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I'm just gonna let your smutty little mind run wild with all kinds of crazy ideas."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," she countered coyly as she stood to follow Caleb and Pogue out of the shed.

Once outside, Caleb took the opportunity to properly lay into her. "Ridley, what were you thinking!"

"I was thinking I was having fun, but I'm wondering if it was worth letting you bitch at me," sh said grinning like a cat who had just caught a canary, "and it totally was."

"Caleb's right though, that guys is way older than you," Pogue began and she cut him off. "I turned eighteen in July and thirty-six is not that old."

"When did you turn eighteen?" Caleb cried.

Ridley rolled her eyes for the millionth time. "This last summer, you idiots-"

"Seriously, Ridley, what the fuck are you thinking?!" Caleb cried becoming more and more frantic.

Ridley grinned wickedly at him as she lit a cigarette. "I think I'm rooting for 'Team Casey'."

* * *

**What?! Yeah, that's right, Ridley now has three suitors. Who will she pick? Reviews would be lovely as always.**


	20. A Woman Like You

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Tyler was still ignoring her and Reid was still doing what he did best when he didn't get his way: act like a total prick. Ridley had merely distanced herself from the two, spending more time with Kate and Sarah. Both girls were on the fence about which boy they supported as both boy were being jerks. As much as Reid and Tyler's attitudes toward her bothered her, nothing bothered her more than not knowing what Adam had planned. She had expected him to throw out sex-mainly because of the stories she had heard around Nicky's from the locals who frequented the bar. His womanizing was even more prolific in Ipswich than Reid's it turned out. It hadn't bothered her and she had found the idea of a one night stand with him to be quite exhilarating. The fact that she wasn't bothered by it made her feel as if she was a bit desperate, but she knew better than to think none of the boys at Spenser's weren't attracted to her. Then again, if Ipswich gossip held any weight, she was not Adam Casey's type. He was into voluptuous blonds. Still, what could he possibly want her to do for him that didn't involve sex? It had been nearly a month and she'd heard nothing from him; hadn't seen him once.

Ridley set the serving tray down on the table and began to pass out drinks to Kate, Sarah, Caleb, and Pogue when one of the other waitresses approached her. "Some guy asked for you specifically to be his waitress."

"Tell him I'm busy," Ridley replied without looking up from her task. The girl sighed. "I did and he said something about how it's time for you to make good on some promise."

Ridley's head shot up and her eyes widened briefly in surprise as she looked to Pogue and Caleb. Pogue snorted at her bewildered expression and pointed over her shoulder. "Looks like Team Casey's up to bat."

"Team Casey," Kate and Sarah squealed, leaning to peer around her. "Oh," Kate breathed out, "oh, wow. Look at those arms. Big manly arms."

"Kate?" Ridley waved her hand in front of her friend's face. "Are you okay?"

Ridley turned to Sarah who was just as dazed. Sarah sighed. "His jaw looks like it was chiseled by Michaelangelo himself."

"Okay," Ridley said slowly as she turned away and headed over to the table with a smirk. She came up next to the table and narrowed her eyes when she noticed Sarah and Kate sidle up to the jukebox and pretend rather poorly to browse the song selection. She chose ignore them and grinned wickedly down at Adam. "So, Major, have you come to give me my marching orders?"

His grin matched hers. "Something like that."

"Well now, don't keep a girl waiting," she teased and he teased back, "I can't help it. You're cute when you get all worked up."

Ridley bit her lip. He leaned back in his chair. "So I been thinking, we've got this fancy ball thing going on over at some equally fancy country club amongst us military men and I want you to go with me as my date."

Ridley gawked at him. She couldn't help it. "A date?"

He nodded in amusement and she stammered, "But I thought-"

Adam chuckled deeply and Ridley felt herself shiver inside. "Woman like you oughta be taken out a few times before any of the stuff you're thinking of occurs. Not that I haven't thought of it."

His eyes had run the length of her form as he said the last of it. "So, you gonna go?"

"When is it?"

"A couple of days before Thanksgiving. Why you got plans?"

She blushed as she said, "I do now."

"Good, Miss Scott," he replied as she quickly jotted her number down on a piece of paper and shoved it in his hand, "you're cute when you blush, too."

She knew she turned redder as his grin widened and she nodded goodbye and turned away slowly. Ridley sauntered over to the table, completely oblivious to the fact that Reid, Tyler, and Burko had all migrated from the pool table to the booth to watch Ridley converse with the strange man and stared down at Pogue and Caleb in disbelief.

"So," Caleb asked impatiently as Kate and Sarah plopped down in the booth, pushing him over. Ridley smiled down broadly at him though she was still in shock. "He wanted me to go on a date with him."

"A date," Caleb said slowly, "he only wanted a date?"

She nodded mutely as she sat down heavily in the booth next to Sarah. Pogue roared with laughter. "He wins the chance to have you do whatever he wants you to do and he asks you on a date?! Oh, that is great."

"What," Tyler howled. Ridley stared at the table as everything began to sink in. "You know, I've never really been on a date let alone one to a ball and now I'm going to a ball as someone's date-"

"Wait, you're going to a ball," Sarah squealed. "I am so on 'Team Casey'!"

"I am, too," Caleb said, surprising even himself. Pogue was laughing. "Seriously, a date?! I would've gone straight for sex."

Ridley nodded. "That's what I thought he was going for, but now I'm confused-"

"What is this about winning the chance to have you do whatever he wanted you to do," Tyler snapped. Reid remained silent. Ridley blinked up at Tyler in surprise. It was the first time he had spoken to her in over a month. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as she tried to figure out a delicate way to put it, when Caleb took the liberty of explaining it for her. "She plays poker with a bunch of guys sometimes and none of them could beat her and she promised that the first one to beat her would have the chance to have her do whatever they wanted."

"That's the stupidest thing in the world to promise," Tyler bellowed, slamming his fist down on the table. Ridley blinked. "I never thought anyone would beat me."

"I think you should wear green," Sarah said which prompted Kate frown in indignation. "Eww, no! Red!"

"Why would he want to go on a date with me," Ridley mused aloud, "I'm not even his type..."

"Dude, you're everyone's type," Pogue blurted and Kate shot him a dirty look. Pogue held up his hands, "What? She is, so I'm simply stating the obvious. You've got that whole thing going for you that all guys are into."

"What thing?" Sarah asked when she noticed Caleb nod.

"She's got that whole mysterious, confident, thing going for her. Plus, she's smart, outspoken-"

"And you're cute no matter what you're doing," Burko said, finally speaking for the first time, "like when you were totally embarrassed by what he said to you and you blushed. You always were cute when you blushed."

"He did say she was cute when she blushed!"

Ridley glared at Kate. "How do you know what he said?"

Kate smiled proudly. "I snuck up closer so I could hear. I'm on 'Team Casey', too." She shot Tyler a pointed look. "Especially, with the way you're acting."

"I'm going on a date," Ridley said shaking her head, "this is weird."

"It's like you're Cinderella or something," Sarah sighed dreamily. Kate nodded. "Except instead of a royal ball she's going to a military ball."

"Oh, a military man! Which branch?"

"Marine," Ridley said, preening when both girls nodded in approval.

"Go 'Team Casey'," Pogue said raising his glass jokingly. Ridley could only smile.

* * *

Ridley was in the library looking up sources for a small reasearch paper in her Shakespeare class when she felt eyes on her. It was only then that she realized Reid had seated himself across the table from her. She marked her place in the book and closed it, readying herself for his first biting remark.

"So," Reid began, scratching his chin. Ridley had noticed not long after she had met him that he only scratched his chin when something was bothering him or he was about to do something very out of character.

"You're really going to go on a date with this guy?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "I did say yes."

He nodded and then asked slowly, "So, you like him?"

"Um, yeah."

He nodded again, looking down at the table's shining surface. "Do you like him a lot?"

"I don't know yet," She replied, trying hard not to sound surprised, "I think I do. He's really nice."

"That's good," he said slowly, picking at a chip in the table's varnish, "You deserve someone who treats you nicely."

"Reid, what's this all about," she questioned. It wasn't like Reid to be so...polite. He shrugged and refused to meet her questioning gaze. "I don't know. You just, you know, this whole me and you and you and Tyler thing sucks and-I don't know."

She nodded. "Yeah, it definitely sucks."

"I'm sorry I fucked things up between you and your sister," Reid said in a rush, bouncing his leg nervously as he scratched at his chin once more, "it was shitty of me to do what I did and I knew it, but I did it anyway because I'm an idiot."

"I, um, okay," Ridley sputtered as she tried to keep her surprise in check, "I'm kind of okay with it now."

He made a face. "Really? Because it was a really shitty thing for me and her to do-"

"Yeah, it was a while ago and-"

"Try a month and a half ago," he muttered and she laughed, "yeah, I bounce back easy."

"You women with your flighty emotions, it's disturbing," he said with a grin, "never know when you're gonna hit us or kiss us."

"I'd say it's more likely I'll hit you than kiss you," she retorted and he threw a balled up piece of paper at her. "You're such a bitch."

"And you're an asshole," she snickered. He smiled. "Yeah, I am, but I'm a cute one."

"If you say so," she snorted and he laughed along with her. He rapped his knuckles on the table and stood. "Yeah, well, I think I've said everything I wanted to-"

"Why are you being so nice?" It was out of her mouth before she could stop it. He shrugged and backed away. "Do I always have to have some other reason for showing concern for others?"

"Yes."

He grinned. "Well, then I guess you'll have to wait and find out."

Ridley rolled her eyes at him and went back to her school work, trying hard to overlook her slight intrigue into Reid's sudden concern. She had more important things to worry about, such as her upcoming date with Adam. How was one to conduct themselves at a military ball? What if they danced? She was terrible at waltzing and waltzing was the kind of dancing that took place at a ball. What if people stared at her? Ridley shook her head. Since when did she care about what people thought of her? She frowned down bitterly at the book in her hands. Since Adam Casey had come into the equation. She sighed in frustration and shoved the books into her backpack as she rose to leave the library. Ridley had to admit. She was out of her league. Reid's womanizing she could deal with. Tyler's skittish behavior? Also, easy to handle. But a confident, emotionally stable, and extremely adult military man? Not so easy to handle.

Ridley stepped out of the large stone building and into the crisp winter air, enjoying the feel of the snow as it crunched beneath her feet. It was really the only thing about the cold season she enjoyed. She wasn't a big fan of the cold. She walked the short distance to the dormitories and found herself at her room within minutes. Christine was sitting at her desk, copying information from one of her textbooks onto individual notecards. When Ridley entered, Christine held out an envelope to her, a perplexed expression on her face. "Some man left a message for you in the office today and the secretary wanted me to give it to you. She was really worked up about it." She wrinkled her nose. "She actually told me he was a fox."

Ridley's eyes widened. "He came to the school?!"

"Guess so," Christine replied, waving the card before her dumbfounded sister, "well? Take the damn thing!"

Ridley snatched the envelope from her quickly and tore into it. She unfolded the paper and let her eyes scan its content just as rapidly.

_I was going to call you, but I lost my nerve. Anyway, just so you know, even though I only said you were going to the ball with me, I aim to spend Thanksgiving with you and you can't say no because I said so. Yes, I'm giving you more marching orders. So make sure to pack stuff. I know you're probably thinking you're going to be miserable at this ball and you're probably right. I hate going to them, but if you're going with me it can't be all that bad. _

Ridley fought the urge to squeal in much the same way Sarah and Kate squealed as she read the note another four times. Christine tried to look over her shoulder at the note, seeing Ridley's excited face. "What's it say?"

"That you're a whore," Ridley snapped as pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and began dialing Sarah's number quickly. Christine rolled her eyes and went back to studying, muttering "bitch" under her breath. Ridley rolled her eyes as well and flopped back onto her bed.

* * *

"But I can't wear some tacky prom dress," Ridley sighed in exasperation as Sarah held up yet another pink prom dress, "it has to be a ball gown or at least gownish. I don't even like pink."

"I think you should wear red," Kate said as she sifted through yet another rack, "you look good in red. I'd say black, but that's not very festive."

Ridley crinkled up her nose as she stared at a hideous orange dress. "You'd think places still carried gowns. I mean, if they still hold balls, then why don't they have ball gowns?"

"We could always ask Caleb's mom," Sarah chimed in as she backed away from one of the racks, eying one particularly floral dress warily as if it would eat her. "I'm sure she's been to a ball or two."

"Of course Evelyn Danvers has been to a ball. Ipswich royalty, hello!" Kate let out a disgusted grunt. "Really, they get worse each year."

Ridley and Sarah nodded in agreement. Kate suddenly burst into laughter. "Can you imagine Casey at our prom?"

Ridley blinked for several seconds as she imagined it. It looked awkward in her mind's eye and she shook her head. "If we're even together then, he's not going with me. I'll go stag or not at all."

"Why go stag?" Kate asked and Ridley rolled her eyes. "Well, it'd be disrespectful to him to go with someone else."

"Oh, now Ridley Scott is worried about disrespecting someone." Sarah whistled. "This is big."

Ridley tried hard not to smile. "Shut up."

Thirty minutes later, they were standing in front of Evelyn Danvers's closet though Ridley was sure it was just a spare room that had been converted into a closet. Evelyn, whiskey glass in hand, was tearing through rack after rack of dress. "Oh, where the hell is it?!"

She slammed her glass down on a nearby shoe shelf and sighed. "I know I have a red dress somewhere."

She turned to another rack and called out, "A ha, over here!"

"Oh, it's so pretty," Sarah sighed, looking at the burgundy dress. Ridley shook her head. "Evelyn, I can't take this. It must have cost a fortune."

"Oh, nonsense. I only bought it because I didn't want anyone else to have it. It doesn't fit me."

She held up the strapless ball gown and frowned. "I don't think my boobs are big enough to hold this baby up."

"Your boobs are fine," Kate snorted. "This is it, Ridley. This is the dress. If you don't take it, you'll hate yourself."

"Are you sure?" She bit her lip. All three women nodded. "Yes."

"Do you think I can do this? I mean, I don't think I can do this," Ridley shook her head at them. "I can't do this."

"You are doing this, and you'll be fine."

"More than fine," Sarah assured her, "this date will go down in the annals of dating history. This will be the date that Ridley Scott made Major Adam Casey fall head over heels in love with her. This will be the date that Spenser girls will talk about for decades to come."

"You make it sound like I'm going on a date with someone famous."

"My dear, you most certainly are," Evelyn chortled. "Adam Casey is the most prolific womanizer in the state of Massachusetts."

Ridley hissed as she slumped down in an ornate wooden sitting chair. "Just great, I'm signing up for a five star one night stand."

"I doubt that's what he's got in mind."

"But it's still a possibility."

They nodded sadly. "Yeah."

"Shit."


	21. Slow Burn

**I own nothing. and if implied sex and sexual situations make you squeamish, don't read. also, sorry for the long wait between chapters. my computer all but exploded and it took me forever to re-write what i lost.  
**

* * *

"But I look stupid!"

"You look classy."

"That's why I look stupid," Caleb heard Ridley wail from inside his mother's room. "I look like a fairy godmother threw up on me."

"You look amazing," Kate argued. Ridley growled and Caleb snorted as Pogue tried hard not to choke as he drank a glass of orange juice.

"I can't breathe!"

Caleb heard his mother sigh in an exasperated voice, "You're not supposed to be able to breathe."

"Wow, this thing makes my boobs look amazing!"

"I told you."

"Now quit fidgeting so we can finish. He's going to be here any minute."

"What if he stands me up?!" It was the third time she had asked in the past hour.

"He's not going to stand you up," Kate, Sarah, and Evelyn cried in unison. Pogue stared up at Caleb in amazement. "Man, she _really_ likes this guy. I mean _really_."

There was silence for several minutes. "What if he thinks I look stupid?"

"Ridley, you look hot. If I were a guy, I would do you," Kate sighed, "now quit being a baby and just suck it up. When this is all over and done with, you better have gotten laid because going on a date with some one that looks like that and not copping more than just a feel is a waste."

"Kate!"

"Well it is!"

Pogue lifted his gaze heavenward and shook his head. There was a heavy knock at the front door and Caleb started down the stairs to the sound of squealing and Ridley sighing, "I'm going on a date, not getting married! Why is this turning into a big thing?!"

Caleb opened the door and was surprised to see a chauffuer standing in front of a sleek limousine parked in the drive. "I'm here to pick up a Miss Scott."

There was the sound of several pairs of heels clacking down the stairs in a rush. Ridley peered over Caleb's shoulder and made a confused face. "Who're you?"

"I'm here to drive a Miss Scott out to meet Major Adam Ca-"

"That's her," Kate said, giving Ridley a shove out the door. Ridley stumbled to a halt and turned to glare at her friend. "What was that for?!"

"Just shut up and go!"

Ridley tossed her friend one more glare and climbed into the limousine. The driver shut the door, smiling at her. She glanced down to her left and noticed a solitary red rose sitting in the seat beside her. Ridley picked up the rose tentatively and inspected it. It was perfect, each petal flawless. If anyone were to ask her exactly how long it took to get to the country club, Ridley couldn't have told them. She spent the entire time staring at the rose cradled gently in her hands. Ridley only noticed she had arrived when the car ceased moving for a prolonged period of time. Ridley felt herself begin to fidget nervously as she tried her best to wait patiently for the chauffeur to come around and open the door for her. She checked her makeup and the chauffer opened the car door. Ridley climbed out, taking the chauffeur's offered hand and smoothed her hands down the front and back of her strapless dress. Ridley looked around herself curiously when someone stepped in front of her. "Miss Scott?"

She blinked up at the finely dressed man. "How did you know?"

"Major Casey said I'd know you when I saw you." He grinned. "He was right. I'm to escort you inside."

He held out his arm and Ridley took it wordlessly. What was he up to? She turned to look behind her. One of the hotel workers had already gathered her bags and was heading toward the door. The doorman held it open and nodded to her. She nodded back and let the man she was attached to lead her into the entrance. She looked around curiously. She had never been to a country club before. Looking around at the luxurious, stylish lobby, Ridley felt extremely out of place, like she did whenever she was at Caleb's house- its was too rich and classy for the likes of her. It felt stifling even though the rooms were preposterously over sized and over furnished. Maybe it was the richness of the furnishings that made her feel so out of place. Ridley breathed in and out several times to calm herself.

"Well don't you clean up nicely." Ridley looked up in surprise to find Adam grinning down at her. Ridley couldn't help but blush as he took her hand, spun her in a circle and whistled. "Prettiest woman here, I'd say."

While Adam was indeed handsome in nothing more than a tee-shirt and work-worn jeans, nothing compare to the sight of him in his uniform. Ridley bit her lip and grinned. "You don't look half-bad yourself."

His grin widened as he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and guided her off toward the ballroom. She was so busy smiling up at him that she didn't notice they had entered until she felt eyes on her and turned to find the every woman in the room staring at them with a raised eyebrow. "You'd think they'd never seen a red dress before," she mumbled to him, feeling immeasurably self-conscious.

"Don't pay attention to them," he snorted, "they're all uptight. From what I heard there was quite a political uprising in their horticulturist's club meeting...thing."

"Let me guess, the secretary forgot to bring this month's mini quiches and they demoted her to treasurer," Ridley replied dryly. Adam chuckled, "How'd you know?"

"You're not going to make me dance all night are you," she asked suddenly, "because when it comes to ballroom dancing, like waltzing and whatnot, I suck at it."

"Well, good, they'll all be staring at you for stomping on toes and not me."

Ridley raised an eyebrow at him, "How romantic and charming of you."

"Well, I am trying my best to sweep you off your feet," he said with a smirk and she grinned as they began to sway together to the music the band played. "Well, if that's the case, all you had to do is buy me a double bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's."

He rolled his eyes. "Now, you know, you're making this really hard on me."

"I have to," she said in explanation, "it's my job as a woman."

"How true," he laughed in amusement and pulled her closer. Ridley felt her cheeks redden and Adam grinned widely at her. "You're blushing."

Ridley's blush deepened and she averted her gaze to the floor. Adam laughed and Ridley's fingers curled into his shoulder at the rumble it sent through his chest. It was intoxicating. It reminded her idly of the men in those cheesy romance novels Sarah loved to read and fawn over. She wondered for a moment if she weren't one of those female heroines in the book. Her story would have made a great romance novel. Of course, just because everything was going smoothly presently didn't mean the ending would be happily ever after-especially if she was just going to end up getting screwed over just so a man could into her pants and drop her afterwards without so much as a "thanks for the great lay." Going through it once had been enough and she wasn't willing to go through it again. Not even for him. What made it all the more painful to think about was that even if he did admit that that was all he wanted out of it, she would go through with it. He was just too...everything.

"Hey," he said in a quiet voice, jarring her from her thoughts, "that's a very unhappy look you got there. What's wrong?"

She bit her lip hesitantly and looked up into his clear blue eyes, "Can I ask you something?"

When he nodded she dropped her gaze to avoid his. "I feel stupid asking this, but I need to. Why do you like me? Men like you don't go around giving girls like me roses and taking them to fancy balls at country clubs."

She looked around at the other guests in attendance. "And I'm not so oblivious that I don't know why some of the women here are giving me hateful looks. It doesn't take a genius to realize I'm not your type."

"Oh yeah, and what type is that?"

Ridley almost blinked in surprise at the amused tone of his voice. "Not me?"

"Shows what you know," he snorted, smiling down at her. "the type of woman I really like is the kind that always says what they mean. She doesn't take what she doesn't have to from anybody. And she about the most beautiful thing in the world when she blushes. That's the kind of woman a man like me holds on to."

Though he was smiling the look in his eyes held no humor. They were softer than she'd ever seen them and it was startling. "You're serious."

He nodded solemnly. "Oh, I'm playing for keeps."

The intensity of his stare, the boldness of his blue eyes, was shattering. Ridley moved closer to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and shivered when she felt the arm wrapped around her waist tighten. She felt as if her her heart was situated in her throat and her head throbbed from the intensity of its erratic, fast-paced beating. She couldn't understand why the sharp, aching pain in her chest felt so wonderful and terrible all at once or why she desperately wanted hold onto him forever while simultaneously wanting to shove him away and run like hell. "I think," she whispered quietly into his neck as she clutched his shoulder, "that I like the idea of you keeping me."

"You better be sure of that," he warned, "'cause I don't plan on letting go once I've got you."

He pulled away so that he could look into her dark eyes. "I mean it."

She nodded, biting her lower lip. "I wouldn't want you to."

Somehow, the look in his eyes got even softer and when he smiled down at her it was genuine; achingly so. Ridley smiled back shyly and his smile morphed into a grin as he tugged her back to him, resting his chin on the crown of her head. Ridley couldn't help but wonder how something so complicated as this had become so simple then decided situations and emotions such as this were just inexplicably so.

* * *

"You're being a dick, Tyler," Reid snapped suddenly, ignoring the suprised looks of everyone around him as he kept his eyes on the glass of coke in front of him. Tyler seemed to be the only one with Reid's have grown a heart. "How am I being a dick? We all know what's happening up there. What's _going_ to happen if it hasn't happened already!"

Caleb glanced around Nicky's briefly. Nobody was really paying attention to their raised voices. Most of the occupants were to drunk to realize that a fight was brewing. Sarah caught his eye with a pleading look. Caleb sighed inwardly. Why did he always have to break up the spats?

"Tyler, while I understand you're concerned, Reid's right," he said calmly, before adding," Ridley's old enough to make her own decisions and she's smart enough to know when someone isn't being on the level with her-"

He looked at Reid and winced. "Well, for the most part."

"Besides, it's not your place to dictate with whom Ridley conducts her personal affairs," Kate added, earning an elbow in the side from Sarah. Kat ignored it and continued, "You had your chance and you blew it."

"Why can't you just be happy for her?"

Again, Reid was the focal point of surprise as he glared at his younger friend. "If you cared half as much as you claimed, you'd be happy for her."

Tyler glared belligerently, crossing his arms and pouting in a way that reminded Caleb and Pogue much of the way Reid would whenever anyone had won an argument with him. "Well, what if something does happen and she gets hurt?"

"Then you stick by her side and make sure she knows she has your support," Reid replied easily, "I mean, that's what you do when you care about someone. You stick up for them and you take care of them when they're hurting."

"He's too old for her!"

"Oh, come on Tyler," Pogue groaned, "now you're just grasping for a reason to be pissed."

Tyler shook his head adamantly. "No, it's a legitimate concern."

Sarah shrugged. "Well, then if you're right, they'll break up."

"But if they don't break up-and they won't-you," Kate said as she pointed at him and leveled him with a fiery stare, "will support her. You will be nice. You will try to accept her relationship with him and you won't say anything rude or try to ruin it."

Tyler stared back at her defiantly for a few moments before finally looking away. "Fine," he grumbled. Kate tossed her hair over her shoulder and smirked triumphantly. "Good."

Burko, who had been silent for the majority of the conversation, was slumped down in his seat in the booth, taking long pulls from his beer bottle. He down it sullenly and slammed it down on the table top, his foul mood punctuating the action. "Let's just hope she doesn't do anything stupid."

Tyler snorted, his face marred by a self-pitying scowl. "It's probably already too late for that."

* * *

Ridley wasn't nervous, but sure of her decision. He hadn't been lying when he had said he wanted her for keeps. It didn't stop her from wanting to run and hide from him. While he posed no physical threat he was large and intimidating just the same and the entire situation, the emotions involved in all of it were just as intimidating. The dim lighting of the hotel room cast shadows across Adam's face and Ridley had to catch her breath as he dimmed them further. Ridley let her gaze fall to the bed and found that on some level it was more horrific than facing the inevitable. It held so many promises for her in that moment, both physical and emotional and suddenly what she had thought to be so simple earlier was now infinitely more complicated, more tangible. That bed with its soft crimson coverlet and it's pristine white sheets would define everything.

His large, callused hand ghosted over her shoulder slowly, travelling up to curl around her slender neck and cradle the base of her skull as he came to stand before her. His other hand slid sloiwly down her back, stopping as it hit the satin of her dress. Ridley's breath hitched painfully in the back of her throat as she waited, but nothing happened. She slowly lifted her gaze upward until it locked with his, chocolate meeting cobalt and sparking alive. Ridley's focus suddenly came back to the present as heat suffused her body, her skin becoming painfully sensitive and her heavy, deep breathing became shallow as the her nervousness transformed into want, need, a slow burn that spiraled through her. The possible wrongs turn into absolute rights and that primal heated look in his eyes became all encompassing as it reinforced his earlier claim wordlessly.

Ridley let her own hand travel up to his abdomen, sliding up to bunch in the smooth fabric and letting her fingers scrape hard against him. The burning in his eyes became more feral though his touch remained gentle as he pulled the pins from her hair while he simultaneously unzipped her gown. Ridley suppressed a moan, letting it catch in the back of her throat when his hand came back up to glide over her shoulder and dip below the loosened bodice of her dress. Ridley paid no heed to her dress as it fell to the floor or to the sensation of her hair tumbling over her shoulders as he pulled the last pin out of her hair.

Her eyes never left his, even when her weight sank back on the bedand he stripped the last bits of clothing from her body. Even though he continued to stare at her, into her, she knew that though his gaze had not left hers, he could see her all, ever bit of naked skin and it made the cold burning sizzle and crackle its way into every pore and every cell. All she could do was watch as he slowly removed his own clothes, eyes locked on hers, despite her chest heaving with her labored breathing And just as he had seen all of her, she was seeing all of him. He was hard where she was soft and big were she was small and she wanted it all the more.

The room became shadows as he covered her, his hands running over her skin just as her ran over his and he licked and nipped his way down her body. Ridley shuddered as she watched him, parting her legs further as his mouth latched on to her inner thigh. Ridley let out a low moan as she breathed out raggedly, "How many women have you loved?"

"One," he breathed against her as he looked up at her with burning eyes and pulled his mouth from her pale skin. "Just one. And you."

* * *

A/N: so i was gonna give them an all out smut scene, but i figured no one would be into to OC's getting it on instead of an OC with one of the sons, so i refrained. but if you were hoping for smuttage of the ridley/adam persuasion, ask and you shall receive. i can always work it into the next chapter. but whatever. i hope you enjoyed this chapter and i'm very sorry for the delay.


	22. Where the Sidewalk Ends

**DISCLAIMER: i own nothing.**

**WARNING: there is smut in this chapter. glorious smut. if you don't like, don't read. if you do like, enjoy.**

* * *

Ridley broke through the haze of sleep to the sound of a low rumbling, grumbling growl and something very heavy plastered across the left side of her body. She croaked out a moan as she lifted her head and made to move and roll over onto her back. There was another growl, this one much more displeased than the last and she was pulled closer. There was a third growl, followed by some incoherent muttering and Ridley almost laughed at the sound of it. She wriggled in place a bit, trying to get comfortable and the muscular arm that had been thrown over her in sleep curled under her, banding around her ribcage, and the hand attached to said arm closed over her bare breast. The growl turned into a purr and Ridley buried her face in her pillow to stifle her laughter. Ridley turned her face to look at the man lying next to her and smiled. Adam Casey was currently nuzzling his face against her shoulder in his sleep. He was getting handsy again.

That was one of the things she'd come to notice over the course of the night. When Adam started growling and purring and his hands began to wander, he was beginning to wake up. This was something Ridley found she quite enjoyed. His touch was lazy, languid, and unrushed in the best way. The closer he came to consciousness, the more his hands would wander and grope. Sometimes, he would even nibble.

Ridley rolled over in his embrace and he snuggled even closer. His arms wrapped around her tightly as he grumbled into her collarbone. One of his hands trailed down her spine with purpose, gripping her thigh and pulling her leg up over his hip. Ridley finally allowed herself to giggle aloud when he let loose a loud snarl and rolled her onto her back and pinned her down and attacked her neck with his mouth. "Well, good morning."

"Mmhmm," he hummed against her throat in agreement. Adam pulled away from her just barely and grinned wolfishly at her, his eyes sparkling. "I'd say," he said as he pulled her other leg up to wrap around his hips and ground down into her, "it's a very good morning."

Ridley wiggled her own hips up against him and smirked when he groaned. He closed one hand around her breast and smirked back. "You think you're so funny. How's this for funny," he teased and thrust into her. Ridley gasped and arched into him. "Not funny,"she managed to moan out as he bent his head down to hers with the intention of kissing her. Ridley bit and sucked on his lower lip and he thrust into her more roughly in response, funneling his fingers through her hair. Ridley moaned and let her head fall back on the pillow, pulling his head down with her. Adam sealed his mouth to hers and Ridley dragged her nails down his back hard and cried into his mouth as he pushed in and out of her roughly.

"Jesus, Ridley," he panted raggedly in her ear as their movements became more erratic and they clutched at one another painfully. She whimpered breathlessly and her hips bucked up into him. "Adam-I can't...Almost."

Adam thrust into her faster, harder and rougher than ever before and Ridley screamed as she came. He howled and shuddered above her as he fell with her and let his head rest on her shoulder as they both struggled to catch their breath. He rolled off of her slowly and settled on his back. Ridley sighed heavily, still trying hard to rein in her labored breathing. Adam threw an arm under his head and rested his other hand on her upper thigh, rubbing small circles with his thumb. Ridley yawned and shifted closer to him on the bed. She rested her head on his shoulder, running an index finger up an down his bicep slowly and let out a low, humming sigh. He smiled over at her and kissed her forehead. Ridley leaned into the contact and he pulled her closer, draping her leg over his.

Adam rubbed at his eyes and looked back at her, smiling slightly when she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "You hungry?" She blinked and her eyes widened in confusion. "I don't know. I don't feel particularly hungry, but I guess I could go for some food right now."

"I think I want some blueberry pancakes..."

"Pie!"

He smacked his lips and squeezed her thigh in approval. "_Now_, you're thinking, Baby."

"Apple pie. I love apple pie." She bit his shoulder teasingly and then kissed it. He pulled her closer, fitting her along his side and buried his face in her hair. "So, would you rather order room service, or go downstairs and eat?"

"Well, I guess room service," Ridley said and she ran her fingers over his chest lazily, "I don't much feel like getting dressed."

"Yeah," he agreed, "I don't much like the idea of you with clothes on either."

She swatted his chest playfully and he kissed her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise when he pulled her up to lie on top of him and he had that look in his eyes. Ridley couldn't help but smirk. "I thought you said you were hungry."

"Yeah, well," he began as he dragged her up so that he could attack her chest with his mouth, "food ain't the only thing I'm hungry for."

Ridley was too busy moaning to respond.

* * *

Reid was doing something he had never done on any holiday break before. Homework. He hated homework, but it needed to get done sooner or later and he was beginning to realize sooner had more advantages than later. He was in the middle of doing his calculus homework when there was a knock on the room door. Reid never stayed home for breaks; he enjoyed the unusual quiet of the dorms.

"It's open," he called absently. He looked up from his placed sprawled out across the foot of his bed for a brief moment and his brow furrowed as he addressed Caleb and Sarah. "I thought you two had a double date with Pogue and Sarah in Boston."

"Kate's stepmother went into labor," Caleb explained, "and we thought we'd see how you're doing."

Reid frowned and brushed his hair from his forehead. "Uh, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you know, Tyler's not really talking to you," Sarah ventured slowly, "must be kind of lonely here by yourself."

Reid shrugged and went back to his homework. "It's not my fault Tyler's being a jerk. Besides, I'm doing just fine here by myself. I like it. It's quiet and really just laid back."

"I think you just don't like people," Caleb joked and Reid grinned. "Yeah, you could be right. But no, I'm just spending time by myself."

He tapped his pencil on his calculus book and looked up at Caleb and Sarah. "How is Tyler anyway? I figured he'd be okay about the whole Ridley spending the break with some guy thing after a while, but..."

Caleb shook his head and sighed. "Haven't really seen him. He keeps saying he's fine whenever we call him to see if he wants to hang out, but you know Tyler. He's usually really social and now he's just...we haven't seen him really since classes let out."

Reid sat up and rubbed at the back of his head, mussing his hair. "Yeah, I don't really think he's figured out how to handle relationships with women very well. I don't think that he gets that it's not the end of the world and he should be more concerned with their friendship than with whether or not he's dating her."

Caleb raised an eyebrow, impressed with Reid's assessment of the situation. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"He'll get it after a while and get over it and if he can't we can always kick the shit out of him and tell him to walk it off."

Caleb snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're so sensitive and understanding."

Reid rolled his eyes in return and grinned lazily. "Well, you know, I kinda feel the exact same way as him, but I'm being realistic about the situation. He's acting like a spoiled baby and he needs to fucking stop it! Acting like a total douchebag isn't going to make anything better or help him get his way."

"Are you trying to get your way?" Sarah's question was neither accusatory nor suspicious, but simply curious. Reid actually laughed. "Hell no. I fucked up big time. There's no way I can come back from that."

"Doesn't that upset you?"

Reid tensed up slightly and glanced back at his notebook, rolling to his side. "Doesn't really matter, you know- how I feel about what's going on with Ridley and that guy. It's not really my business and I can't control her or whatever."

Caleb just nodded and took his girlfriend's hand. "Well, we're going to go to Nicky's for drink and some food if you want to come."

Reid shook his head and waved them off. "Nah, I still got some other homework I want to get done tonight, so you guys go on without me."

"Alright," Sarah said before asking, "you want us to get you something?"

"Nope, I'm good. Thanks." He waved as they left and closed the door and turned back to his homework.

* * *

Ridley popped a grape into her mouth and brought her foot up off of Adam's knee to poke him in the chest with her toe, right over a thin knot of scar tissue. "Where'd you get that?"

"Desert Storm," he said, cutting into a green apple. "Guy kinda got spooked and slashed at me, stuck me in the shoulder, too."

Ridley let her foot fall back into his lap and rubbed at his stomach with her toes. "What about that small one on your side?"

"Used to get into trouble all the time when I was in high school," He rubbed one hand up and down her calf and pulled her chair closer to his at the small table in their hotel room. "I got into a fight with some boy from school while we were out in some field getting drunk and he knocked me into the barbed wire fence that ran the perimeter."

She leaned forward and bit into the apple slice he had in his hand. "Did it hurt?"

He shook his head. "Naw, just made me real mad. I beat the tar outta that kid. Busted his nose up real good." He grinned rakishly, "Looked better that way, too."

She smirked as she chewed. "What is it with men and getting into fights?"

"It's...manly and impulsive and you find it highly attractive?"

She laughed and he grinned. "You like it."

Ridley pursed her lips, still smiling and continued to massage his stomach with her foot. "I like you."

They continued to stare at each other, smiling affectionately until Ridley picked up a plate of apple pie and scooped up a bite on her fork. "You have a lot of scars."

"Yeah, I guess I have a lot more than most people do, but..." He smoothed his hand up her calf in a soothing manner. "So do you."

Ridley dropped her gaze to her lap and said in a soft voice, "Yeah."

Adam grabbed the plate out of her hands and set it down on the table and then pulled her from her chair to sit in his lap. He smoothed a lock of her hair between his fingers, keeping his eyes trained on her shoulder. "I'm not really good with words-ones that matter anyway, but I heard stuff just like you did and...Stuff about me's pretty true-"

"Me, too," Ridley said, suddenly finding her throat tight and raw. She lowered her gaze. "Well, the really awful stuff is."

Adam tensed and tightened his arms around her, his jaw clenched. Ridley let her head fall to his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. "I'd rather just forget it happened; I just want to pretend I'm okay. I haven't had to deal with him in a long while."

She felt him nod against her. "Whatever you want, but if you ever want to talk about it...Well, I'm here."

"Talking doesn't make what happened any less real, you know?" She fiddled with the tie to his bathrobe. "Do you remember that one guy at Nicky's? Really wild, dark hair?"

"With the eat shit and die grin?"

Ridley laughed and nodded. "That's Burko, we've been best friends since...God, I don't have a childhood memory that doesn't involve him." Ridley looked to his shoulder avoiding his gaze. "When that stuff happened, Burko would try to do things to make it better or to keep it from happening, but we were so young then and-nobody ever believed him when he told them because he was that kid that pulled the fire alarms. He only did that because he was so messed up, too."

"You're not messed up, Ridley."

Ridley gave Adam a look and he chuckled. "I'm serious! Do you realize where you could be right now if you were messed up? You dealt with it internally and most people can't survive that, but you did."

He was serious once more. "Not many people can pull through what you did and...you did. That counts for something, right?"

Ridley nodded and then punched his shoulder lightly to lighten the tense mood. "And you said you're not good with words."

He shrugged. "Maybe that was a one time thing."

"Let's hope so, can't have you being the voice of reason. The world would fall into chaos," she said in a mock serious voice. Adam laughed and pulled her to him for a kiss.

"Let's stop talking about all this dark, depressing stuff, and talk about something else."

Ridley snuck a hand down the back of his robe and ran her hand over the long knots of scarred tissue on his back. "Where'd you get these? They seem like they were pretty deep."

Adam shrugged and rubbed his jaw along the inside of her forearm. "Those are from a really long time ago."

Ridley moved her hand to the back of his scalp and massaged her fingers through his hair. "What happened?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll tell you about it someday."

"Promise?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her flush against his chest. "I promise."

Noticing his solemn expression, Ridley placed tiny butterfly kisses along his jawline. "What's wrong?"

"Does it bother you?"

Ridley's brow furrowed in confusion. "Does what bother me?"

"That I have all these scars? Some women-most women don't like 'em."

"Well, those women are stupid," Ridley laughed, giving his cheek a smacking kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I like them. It's who you are, where you've been, and what you've done. If I didn't like them, it would mean I don't like you. And I do like you."

He grinned. "Well, alright then!"

Ridley pulled away slightly and picked up her plate of pie. She forked a bite into his mouth and then took a bite herself, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, we should try finding something to do in town."

Adam leered at her. "I do have something to do in town. She's sitting on my lap forking apple pie into my mouth."

Ridley rolled her eyes and snorted, "Not that I don't enjoy being the thing you do, but it'd be nice if we went out and did stuff together. We can't base everything off of how awesome it is when we have sex."

"Why not?" Ridley raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "I'm a guy, I can't help it."

"I think you're being a jerk on purpose," She pouted. Adam smiled and leaned forward to nuzzle her neck. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"Well, I don't know. I've never been here, but it's too cold to just go for a walk through town." She set the now empty plate down on the table and wrapped her arms around him. "We could go see a movie."

He shook his head. "Do you really think we'd actually watch the movie?"

She grinned and leaned her head against his shoulder. "No."

After a few moments of silence Adam said, "I think there may be an art gallery nearby."

Ridley raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you like art?"

Adam made a face and gave her a half shrug. "Not really."

"Then why on Earth would you suggest going to an art gallery?"

"Well, do you like art?"

"Yes, but I want us to do something we both enjoy. Besides, my taste in art is limited to the likes of Van Gogh and Monet. You try to throw in Kahlo or Picasso and I'm out of there."

Adam gave her an almost beaming smile of approval. "So, you're one of those women who only does things with her man that she knows he would enjoy, too."

"Yes," she said slowly, before adding, "but I would make you go to an art gallery with me if I was a painter and they were showing my work there."

He nodded. "Well, that's to be expected."

"I just think we should be doing things together that we both enjoy. I wouldn't be able to have a good time if I knew you weren't having a good time."

"So, you're not ever going to make me go to a poetry reading or some crappy play?"

Ridley bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look of hope and fear on his face and gave him a linger kiss on the lips. "Of course not. Not unless you wanted to go."

The smile returned to his face and he kissed her hard. "Good, 'cause if you ever tried to, I'd have to sex you up so good you wouldn't be able to walk for weeks and I wouldn't have to go."

Ridley giggled against his lips. "As far as threats go, that one isn't very good. It just makes me want to take you to every art gallery and play in the state."

Adam licked and sucked at her collarbone and squeezed her thigh hard. "Oh, I bet it does."

Ridley pushed him away gently and tried not to laugh at the put out expression on his face. "If we're going to go out we need to start getting ready."

"We still haven't decided where we're going," he pointed out, making another grab for her, which she evaded by slipping out of his lap gracefully. Ridley arched an eyebrow at him playfully. "Well, I feel dirty and I know you're dirty." He smirked proudly and nodded his head and she continued, "Which means we both need a shower."

Adam crossed his arms and glowered petulantly at her. "An' just what am I s'posed to do when you're taking a shower?"

Ridley untied her bathrobe and let it fall and puddle at her feet. "I never said we were taking seperate ones."

His eyes widened in shock as he watched her saunter toward the bathroom. She turned in the doorway, and asked, "Well, are you coming?"

Adam jumped up out of his chair. "Hell yes, I am!"

* * *

"Dude, with a prof as batshit crazy and ADD as Bell, there's no way we can pass this test coming up," Burko muttered, tossing a Sour Patch kid up in the air and catching it in his mouth. "You can't just jump from semantics to phonetics and then to syntax without explaining them fully and expect to us to take decent notes in hopes of passing the class."

"Yeah, but the TA is taking over this class after break, so it shouldn't be so bad. Luckily, this isn't just a semester class," Reid replied as he shuffled through the stack of books on the table. Burko sat forward and glanced around the empty library. "This place is really creepy sometimes."

"Yeah, I don't like coming in here at night on breaks," Reid looked up at the the rafters toward the greyish sky peaking in through one of the old skylights. "You know, they say this place is haunted, but I've never seen anything. Just sometimes, I get that feeling, you know. Kinda like something's watching me or something."

"I hate that shit," Burko muttered as he flipped open one of the books Reid had set down on the table. "Why did you bring all these over? They don't have anything to do with Linguistics."

Reid shook his head in amazement at his friend. "You really don't pay any attention in class, do you?"

Burko grinned up at him and pulled at his Ramones tee shirt, which looked as though it had been slept in the night before. "Nope."

Reid settled down in the chair across from him. "Well, we have a three page paper due a week after break. You pick out a passage from any novel of your choosing, one page in length, and talk about how the dialog written is different from spoken dialog and relate the different linguistic terms to it."

"So, it's like the one paper we did with a movie only it's a book instead?"

Reid nodded and the two began sifting through the pile of novels on the table. "I just grabbed a bunch of books that looked somewhat interesting."

Burko held up one book and raised a dubious eyebrow. "'Lolita?!"

"What's wrong with 'Lolita'?"'

Burko shook with laughter. "Have you ever read it?"

"No."

Burko continued to laugh as he studied the cover. "Higgins would have a heart attack if he knew this was in his library!"

"Higgins would have a heart attack about a lot of things if he knew about them," Reid snorted as he thumbed through a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" before tossing it back into the pile and picking up a copy of "Cather in the Rye."

"Yeah," Burko set down the book and looked up at Reid with a thoughtful expression as he scratched at his scalp, mussing his already unkempt hair even more. "You don't think he'll make a big deal about Ridley and Casey do you?"

Reid looked up at Burko just then, surprised by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You know how Higgins is about Spenser's image and while it's not unheard of for a guy to date a younger girl, it's still..."

"Frowned upon," Reid finished for him. He rubbed at his face and leaned back in his chair. "I didn't even think about that."

"You don't think he will do you?"

"Ridley's been awful quiet about the whole thing, since he won that bet. All anyone really knows is that she likes him and they went to some ball and are spending the break with each other, so I think as long as it's kept pretty quiet and personal, Higgins won't find out and they won't run the risk."

Burko leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I was at Nicky's last night. She didn't tell Nicky she was going with Casey."

"So?" Reid shrugged, "She doesn't have to tell her boss who she's spending her time with when she asks off."

"I know that, but that's not it," Burko said, "Nicky and Casey are tight, like they've been friends for years, way before any of use were born-"

"Nicky's good friends with Casey? Adam Casey?" Reid thought about it for a moment. "Well, that's no big deal. Casey goes to Nicky's every now and then and Ipswich is a small town pretty much-"

"That's not my point. I mentioned Ridley was with Casey and Nicky got this look on his face, this really worried look on his face."

Reid shrugged again, "The guy does have a reputation."

"Yeah, I thought that's what he was freaking out about, too, but a couple minutes later, while I'm over at the pool table playing with some of the local crawlers who had come in from Steiner's, I look up and Nicky's on the phone and he didn't look too happy. And he keeps looking over at the pool table, at me, and the look on his face, it's not worry. He looked paranoid."

"Paranoid," Reid repeated, "what do you mean paranoid? Why would he be paranoid about Ridley and Casey together?"

"That's what I'm saying," Burko hissed, scowling in frustration, "just because the guy was in the Marines doesn't mean he's still a good guy!"

"Are you going to tell Ridley about all this when she gets back?"

Burko let out a heavy sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. You know how Ridley is. She takes things in stride most times, and then other times...Plus, I don't think she'd like for me to be butting in on it. She's gonna be getting shit on all fronts once one of Spenser's finest gets wind of it."

Reid let out a sigh as well and pushed his blond hair out of his eyes, "Shit, I didn't even think of that. God, once Kira finds out, Higgins will find out, and it'll snowball from there. Where Nicky fits into all of this, I don't even want to try and figure out."

Burko shoved the majority of the books to the far end of the table. "Just thinking about the impending drama is giving me a migraine of epic proportions."

"Well, they'll be back in a couple of days and maybe by then we'll know what's going on." Reid made a face. "Or at least think we do."

"Yeah, I just hope it's not some deep, dark secret."

Reid quirked an eyebrow. He knew all about deep dark secrets and he prayed Burko was correct.

* * *

Ridley laughed as she leaned into Adam's side. They were walking back to their hotel and both were in a more than cheerful mood after having spent the day wandering around town. It was just after six and they had run out of things to do. They had gone bowling, they had gone to see a movie, and then spent the better part of two hours playing with some stray dogs in the local park, all of which had been treated to some of the burgers and fries Ridley and Adam had gotten earlier.

"I didn't think you would be so into dogs. You seem like more of a cat person."

"Really," Ridley asked, "what makes you say that?"

"You're pretty independent like a cat."

Ridley shrugged and elbowed him lightly in the side, "So are you, but you are clearly all about the canines."

"Yeah, I love dogs."

"Me too, I was that little girl that walked up to full grown, growling, snarling rottweilers and called them puppies," Ridley said. Adam laughed and hugged her closer as she blushed. "I think I heard you call a couple of them dogs 'puppy' once'r twice back there."

"They were cute," she defended. He chuckled and kissed the crown of her head. "Didn't you have any pets when you were little?"

"I had a hamster once. I named him Basil after one of the characters in 'The Great Mouse Detective.'" Ridley frowned at the memory. "He got loose in the house while my Aunt Gerty was babysitting me and she killed him; whacked with a broom."

Adam's mouth dropped open. "That's terrible."

Ridley nodded in agreement. "I thought so, too."

"Why was your Aunt babysitting you? And I thought you don't have any family besides your mom and dad and your sister."

"I don't anymore, Aunt Gerty was my Great Aunt and she was really old. She died when I was twelve." Ridley sighed sadly. "I was spending the night at my friend Lila's house because I found out my Dad was coming home. When he came home, drunk as usual, and saw I wasn't there, he took it out on my Mom. Sad thing was, Mom was so strung out pills, she didn't even really feel it. One of the neighbors heard him screaming and yelling at her and called the cops. When they got there, he'd broken her nose and was kicking her in the ribs. That's why she was babysitting me."

They had stopped walking somewhere in the middle of her story and Ridley glanced down the sidewalk and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, that's not exactly something people like hearing. Especially, when they're getting to know someone they're involved with."

"I got kicked out of my house when I was sixteen."

Ridley looked up to find him staring off down the sidewalk as well. "My Dad and I-we ain't ever gotten along. I wasn't a bad kid, he just wasn't a good Dad; didn't know how to handle being one. He tried, but it was just easier for me to leave."

"So you left home?"

He nodded. "In my family, sons and fathers have never gotten along. It's not that we're rebellious or nothing, just none of us ever meshed."

"What about your mother?"

He shrugged and looked away. "She wasn't around. She left when I turned ten. Not many people in my family stick around."

"Your uncle did."

One corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smile. "My Uncle...he's different; like me." He looked back at her. "He's the only one who's ever stuck around."

Ridley took up his hand in hers, threading her fingers through his. "I'm not going anywhere, Major."

She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him softly. "I mean it."

Adam tugged her against himself and wrapped her up in his arms. "You're awful good at making me feel better about myself."

"I don't like it when you're broody. I like it better when you're all growly."

"I wasn't brooding, was I?"

She laughed at the worried look on his face. "You were pretty close to it, Sweetheart."

Adam opened his mouth to reply, but turned to look behind them suddenly, shoulders tensed. Ridley looked around them in confusion. "What is it?"

He continued to stare off for several moments, his eyes narrowed and Ridley couldn't help but think he looked for a moment like a caged animal. Adam took one last look around them and then shook his head. "Nothing, just...nothing."

He smiled down at her reassuringly and Ridley smiled back though she could tell something had truly rattled him.

Ridley tugged on his hand. "Come on, let's get back."

When Adam glanced back over his shoulder again, clearly looking for someone or something to pop out of the growing shadows, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his ear. "We can take a nice long shower together and then spend the next couple of days in bed."

"What the hell're we standin' around here for," Adam laughed, squeezing her hand as they started to walk again. Ridley giggled into his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"We can't stay in bed the entire time we're here," Adam said and Ridley turned to look at him challengingly, "Why not?"

"I have an important appointment on tomorrow," he explained. Ridley tilted her head to look up at him. "What is it?"

"Can't tell you, it's top secret," he teased and she rolled her eyes. Adam laughed. "You can come with me if you want."

"Fine, I will," she snapped back challengingly and Adam raised his eyebrows. "What's got you all riled up?"

"I'm not 'riled up.' You said we were spending the holiday together and now we're going back to Ipswich early." Ridley half scowled half pouted at him. "Spenser's dorms are creepy enough in session. I'm not exactly happy about having to spend the rest of the week there all alone."

Adam burst into laughter and Ridley's scowled deepened. She pulled away from him and settled her hands on her hips as she glowered at him. "I don't see how that's funny. You would be creeped out, too, if you woke up in the middle of the night because you heard some strange banging noise coming from your closet."

"I'm not laughing at that," he said in between gasps as his laughter slowly ebbed away, "Okay, maybe I am…kinda. I'm just laughing 'cause you thought I was just gonna drop you back off at Spenser."

"Oh," Ridley said in a tiny voice as she blushed, "Sorry, I got so, um, annoyed."

"No problem. It was cute," He snickered and Ridley punched him in the arm half-heartedly before wrapping her arms back around him. "You're going to drive me crazy."

"Maybe." Adam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and glanced behind them once more. Ridley tried hard to ignore the way the hairs on the nape of her neck were standing on end and the way that Adam was clutching her almost protectively. She managed to do so only because Adam made her feel so safe. There was something in the way he carried himself, the subtle ripple of muscles beneath skin that gave one the impression that however relaxed he may seem, he was always on guard and ready to strike. Ridley only half wondered if it was due to years of service in the Marines or something else. She didn't really want to know the answer and it really didn't matter because for once, she wasn't worrying over someone's ulterior motives; while most would consider what he said to her to be smooth talking, Ridley knew otherwise. He was blunt and unapologetically honest and wasn't one to go about sweet talking women-when a man looked like him, there really was no need to-or anyone else for that matter. On some level, she knew they should both be extremely relieved that neither one of them ever had a cross or seemingly critical thing to say to one another. In the very little time thus far, they had both learned that not only were they both straightforward and blunt, they were also extremely hot-tempered while being simultaneously laid back.

Ridley leaned up and pecked Adam on the jaw quickly when he turned to look behind them once more. "Don't worry about it."

Adam looked down at her solemnly and she tightened her hold on him. "I'm not worried."

Ridley closed her eyes momentarily and breathed in heavily, luxuriating in the smell she had begun to associate with so many different feelings and emotions. It was woodsy, masculine, all encompassing. It was warm and safe and him and home. It was terrifying, intimidating, intoxicating, arousing, heartbreaking. Ridley rubbed her cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt, bunching a handful of it in her fist as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was watching her, one corner of his mouth turned up slightly in amusement as he studied her almost curiously.

"You make me feel safe," she blurted. She dropped her gaze to the sidewalk and watched as they stepped in unison. Ridley turned her face into his side when he gently pushed her hair behind her ear and they walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in silence.

Much later as they lay in bed, wrapped around one another, watching the shadows make their way across the room as the night began to ease its way into dawn, Adam said in a gravelly, raw voice as he traced her collarbone, "You make me feel."

* * *

**A/N: okay, so i know my updates aren't exactly very close together and chances are they won't get more frequent because the internet connection in my dorm is messed up and nobody's come by to fix it yet. BUT, do not fear, i am working on this story whenever i have the time.**

**also, i'm going to write a sequel once this one is finished. everyone will have someone by the end of the sequel. things are going to get kind of dark again, too, but don't worry. if there's a sequel, that means it's a guaranteed happy ending, right? meh, who knows...i'm kidding. i live for happily ever-afters. **

**and in case, my next update isn't for a really long time, you are all more than welcome to either message me or send me e-mails to badger me. it helps. and i don't mind it in the least. reviews would also be lovely. negative and positive criticism helps me know whether or not i'm sucking it up.**


	23. Sensitivity

**I own nothing...damn it. R&R please.**

* * *

Reid rubbed the back of his neck and then scrubbed at a grease stain on page 345 of his literature book before highlighting a specific passage.

"It's seriously weird watching you do homework," Caleb muttered around a mouthful of French fry, "very surreal."

"I think it's a nice change," Sarah said, shoot Caleb a reprimanding look as she tucked a strand of wayward blond hair behind her ear, "I mean, nowadays people usually change for the worse."

"Tyler," Caleb snarled out. Reid capped the neon yellow highlighter and shook his hair from his eyes as he looked up at Caleb. "Did you finally talk to him?"

Caleb leaned back in the booth and nodded darkly. He glanced around the fairly uncrowded bar and sighed heavily. "He's not doing so hot."

"What do you mean?"

Caleb sighed again. When he didn't elaborate, Reid scowled and Sarah elbowed him. Caleb rolled his eyes. "He's been going out a lot."

Reid shrugged, crossing his arms on the table's surface and shoving his fry basket away with one elbow. "So? I mean, at least he's getting out and not spending his time alone, right?"

"He's going out, but he's not hanging out with anybody," Caleb clarified. He gestured to Reid's basket of fries. "D'you want those?"

"Yeah, but you can have some," Reid nodded, "finish what you were saying."

"Sarah ran into Katie Parks…you know, the girl in biology with kinda wavy dark hair and freckles? Hangs out with Macy Hardwicke."

"Yeah."

"Well, Sarah ran into her in town when she was picking up some stuff from the drugstore and she said she ran into Tyler at some random party she went to with her older sister and some of her sister's college friends. They said Tyler was just sitting there drinking and he didn't really talk to anybody."

Reid frowned. "She didn't talk to him?"

Sarah shook her head. "She told me she tried, but he only really gave her one word responses and kind of ignored her, which is totally not like Tyler at all."

"Yeah, well, like I said, he'll get over it," Reid said dismissively. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think so? I mean, he's kind of sensitive."

Reid rolled his eyes. "We're all sensitive in one way or another, Sarah."

Sarah pursed her lips and Caleb glanced off toward the bar.

"When are Pogue and Kate getting back?"

"Tonight. We're all thinking about going to the movies if you want to go."

"And be fifth wheel," Reid snorted, "no thanks. I think I'll pass."

Sarah smiled ruefully. "You could ask Burko to come. We could triple date."

Reid grinned. "I'll think about it."

* * *

Ridley watched the bellhop load she and Adam's luggage into the back of Adam's large SUV and wrinkled her nose. The smell of the exhaust was uncharacteristically strong and acrid. It was beginning to make her eyes water and sting slightly.

Adam emerged from the inside of the hotel lobby and gestured for her to get into the SUV. Ridley smiled her thanks to the bellhop and climbed into the passenger. Adam tipped the bellhop and climb into the driver's seat. He looked over at her. "You ready to go?"

Ridley nodded. He smiled and shifted into drive. Ridley yawned and leaned back in her seat.

"You're tired?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night," Ridley replied, wryly. Adam snickered. "Me either."

"Your fault."

"Yours, too."

"Maybe."

He snorted. "Fine, I'll take all the blame."

"Good," Ridley turned to look at him, "so, just what exactly is so important that we had to leave early?"

"I can't tell you."

Ridley frowned. "Why not?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Ridley."

"You are exasperating."

"You are adorable when you pout."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Pull over and I will."

"Why do I have to pull over for you to make me?"

"Because you're driving and if I attack you, you'll wreck the car, and we'll both die instead of just you."

"How do you plan on killing me?"

"Not with kisses."

"Or kindness, apparently." He grinned at her. "I'm not pulling over."

Ridley shot him a challenging look. "Because you're scared."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's it."

Ridley stuck her tongue out at him and his grin turned smug. "Besides, you wouldn't actually kill me. You like me too much."

Ridley smiled despite herself. "Yeah, I guess."

He reached over and squeezed her knee affectionately. Ridley smiled to herself and let her gaze drift out the window towards the scenery. The bare, leafless trees and usually drab gray sky looked sharper than usual. Even the buildings they passed seemed more vibrant and detailed than usual.

By the time they reached Ipswich, Ridley was wholly engrossed in taking in every bit of land they passed committing each tree, bush, house, store and person they passed to memory. She was so busy watching a squirrel forage through the leaves at the foot of a tree several yards away that she failed to notice when Adam stopped and parked the SUV.

"Okay, we're here," Adam announced as he opened his door. Ridley turned away from the window and looked up and out through the windshield at the large colonial style house. "Okay…where's here?"

"My house."

Ridley tilted her to the side as she continued to study the house. It looked old, but it was more than well maintained. It looked like the Danvers' colony house that Tyler had shown her, only there was a large, wrap-around porch. None of the paint was peeling and all of the window shutters were still attached. None of the roof shingles were missing either. It didn't look all that lived in, though. _Of course, most bachelor pads don't,_ Ridley thought to herself as she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door. There was no furniture on the porch, not even a mat in front of the front door and there were no bushes or flowers lining the porch. Ridley slipped out of the SUV. The air was crisp and clean, but instead of just the scent of dead leaves, she thought she smelled wet dog.

"How far away is the nearest house?"

"A few miles," he replied as he pulled their luggage out of the back and set it on the ground. Ridley leaned to the side so as to get a better look around the side of the house. The trees had been cleared far off from the house, creating an overly large backyard. There was one lone oak tree planted off to the side. Adam hefted up the two suitcases and cam to stand next to her. She smiled up at him. "It's pretty out here."

"Yeah," he agreed, and nodded for her to follow him. Ridley remained a step behind him as they made their way toward the porch. Ridley waited patiently as Adam unlocked the door. He nudged the door open with his shoulder and set the suitcases just inside the door then turned to look at her. Ridley's eyes widened in surprise at the nervous look on his face. "Wait here."

"Okay," she said in a confused voice as he disappeared inside the house, closing the door behind himself. Ridley turned away from the door slowly to stare out towards the car. She hadn't realized how many curves they'd gone over as she followed the gravel drive as it curved out of view behind the encroaching wood. It really was like the Danvers' colony house. And the Parry, Garwin, and Simms colony houses. She wondered if it was as old, or if it had been built in the same style. She didn't really know much about the history of Ipswich outside of the four family lore. Adam had never mentioned whether he was from Ipswich originally and Ridley felt uneasy when she realized how very little she really knew about him.

She leaned up against one of the strong white columns flanking the porch steps and let her eyes run over the trees surrounding the house. She could only imagine how beautiful it was as the leaves turned colors at the onset of fall and she was sorry to have missed it. Ridley unwrapped the soft green scarf from around her neck and thumbed the material. It seemed softer than usual.

At the sound of the front door opening, she turned slowly just as Adam stuck his head out the door. "Hey," he said softly. He still looked a little nervous. She smiled slightly. "Hey."

"C'mere, I want you to meet someone," he said in the same low even tone before he disappeared from view. Ridley pushed off the column and sauntered toward the door, pushing it open slightly with an open palm. Adam was leaning against the base of the staircase to the second floor with his arms braced around a fully grown Rottweiler as if he were waiting for it to suddenly attack her.

Her surprise at Adam's owning a dog and not telling her melted into excitement and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet momentarily. "You have a dog!"

"Yeah," Adam grunted out in a confounded and strained voice as the animal began to shake in excitement as well and struggled against its master's grip to greet the newcomer. It let out a whine and Ridley frowned at Adam. "Why are you holding on to him like that?"

"He's not exactly friendly."

Ridley collapsed on the floor in front of the whining dog and scratched behind his ears, cooing affectionately, "You are just the cutest dog ever!"

Adam's brow knit in confusion as his shoulders began to sag with relief and he let go of his pet. The giant dog dove straight into Ridley's lap, swiping its long, slobbery tongue over her hands and face as it whimpered happily at her. "This has to be the most bizarre thing I have ever seen."

"Most men would be happy that their dog likes their girlfriend," said, shooting him an amused look. "I don't see what you were so worried about. He's sweet."

"Panzer is not sweet," Adam argued in confusion. "He hates everyone."

"Panzer," Ridley laughed, "you named your dog Panzer?"

Adam scowled. "What's wrong with his name?"

Ridley shook her head as she continued to laugh. "Nothing, it's just very fitting."

She cupped Panzer's massive head in her hands and rubbed behind his ears with her finger tips as she proceeded to making kissing noises at him. "You are just so adorable, I just love you, oh yes I do! Yes, I do, you big, cute-as-button beast of a dog!"

Adam leaned back against the first step on the staircase, propping himself up on his elbows and watched with a broad smile as Ridley baby-talked Panzer senseless. Panzer collapsed, letting his head fall back on Ridley's leg and his tongue loll out the side of his mouth as she scratched his stomach. Ridley patted him on the stomach. "Oh, Adam, he's great."

"Yeah, he's a good dog," Adam said in that soft voice that made Ridley's stomach flip and her heart flutter uncontrollably. "You don't know how worried I was he wouldn't like you."

Ridley shrugged and grinned at him. "I have a way with canines."

His smile grew. "Clearly."

Ridley raised an eyebrow. He sounded almost cryptic. Adam nudged Panzer with his foot. "Get up, you overgrown mutt, gotta show the lady around the house."

Panzer huffed as he scrambled to his paws and trotted away. Adam pulled himself to his own feet before helping Ridley to stand and took her on a quick tour of his house, which she noted was very sparse. There weren't very many personal items; hardly any pictures on the walls and those that were mainly photographs of woodland landscapes. Adam had mentioned he was a loner and seeing how remote and impersonal his home looked made it painfully clear. The most surprising, warm room in the house was his office, which contained several large bookcases, filled with overly large volumes and books and manuals. Some were almanacs, encyclopedias-even a dictionary or a thesaurus or two-but mainly they were novels. Some were non-fiction autobiographical works. Some were volume sets all devoted to historical events or the complete works of well known poets and authors. He had everything. The shelves were filled to the brim and there were subsequent piles littered through out the room. Each and every one of them were overly worn from having been read multiple times. Next to the window was Adam's large oak desk, hidden over mounds of paperwork, manila folders, and building blueprints.

Ridley, poked at the corner of one folder with her index finger. "I'm guessing work keeps you busy?"

He shrugged, only nodding slightly. "A friend and I run a construction company together. We design some of the buildings we've built."

"A Marine and an architect." Ridley tugged gently at his shirt. "Got any other hidden talents?"

"A few," he said with an equally playful nod of his head. He looked at the clock on his desk and frowned. "We gotta go or we'll be late."

"Oh, yes, your mysterious appointment. If it's work related, I can wait for you here."

"Nope, it's not." He tugged her out of the office and down the hall toward the staircase. Ridley followed, confused and curious. He seemed nervous again. Thirty minutes later, Ridley looked up at the building across from the parking lot they were sitting in and turned to look at him. He looked even more anxious than before.

"Adam, why are we here?"

* * *

Caleb and Pogue adjusted their grips on the sides of the large armchair they had been asked to carry in by one of the freshmen girls who was moving into one of the rooms. She was incredibly tiny and both boys had been amused at the sight of her trying to push the chair across the parking lot towards the dormitory on her own.

"Oh good," she sighed, pointing down the hallway, "the door's open."

They followed the line of her outstretched arm to the door she was pointing to and stopped. Pogue looked over the red upholstered chair to his friend. "Isn't that Ridley and Christine's room?"

"Maybe Christine moved back to California."

"One can only hope."

"And pray," Caleb muttered as they made their way to the door. Christine was just inside the doorway staring at Ridley's side of the room. The bed was stacked high with packed boxes and the mattress had been stripped bare.

"Excuse me," the girl said meekly, tapping Christine on the shoulder and tugging on her long, mousy brown hair, "are you my new roommate?"

Christine jumped and whirled around. Her face scrunched up in annoyance and confusion as she stared down at the girl. She looked up toward Caleb and Pogue, raising an eyebrow to better convey just how annoyed she was for being left in the dark about the sudden changes in her living arrangements. "Where the hell is Ridley?"

"We don't know," Pogue snapped at her, "now move so we can put her chair down."

Christine narrowed her eyes at him, but stepped back out of their way. The brunette freshman laughed nervously and backed out the door. "I'm just gonna go get the rest of my stuff. Thanks for your help!"

Christine glared after her as she darted out of the room then turned back to pin them with her venomous stare. "Don't tell me, I have to live with that reject?!"

Caleb sighed long sufferingly. "I'd have thought you would be happy to be rid of Ridley."

"Yeah," Christine said in a snide tone that indicated she thought he was a complete moron, "if it meant I'd get the room to myself."

She frowned again, as if there were a bitter taste in her mouth and turned away, stalking out the door. "If you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."

"It'll be the first thing I do," Pogue said in an overly friendly voice, before shooting Caleb a look. Caleb rolled his eyes and shook his head. "She's worse than Kira sometimes."

"No kidding."

"Uh, what are you guys doing here?"

They both jumped and turned to find Ridley leaning against the door frame, smirking. Caleb jerked his head in the direction of the boxes. "You moving out?"

"Yeah, I have other living arrangements," she said, looking around the room, "where's the wicked bitch?"

"You just missed her." Pogue nodded goodbye and stepped past her and out the door. Ridley watched him go and then turned back to Caleb, who was still staring at her. He looked down at the floor for a moment and then back at her with an agitated expression. "You're moving in with him aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You sure that's the smart thing to do?"

Ridley smiled lopsidedly at him. "It's one of the few things I've been sure of since coming to Ipswich, Caleb."

"You barely know him," Caleb pointed out. Ridley nodded and stepped into the room. "How long did you know Sarah before you were telling her your deep, dark secret?"

"That's different," Caleb argued. Ridley's smile grew smug. "Why, because it's you and you have spectacular judgment? If I remember correctly, you were the one who thought Chase was such an awesome guy."

"How do you know so much-"

"About the fifth son," Ridley interrupted. She shrugged slightly, "Reid's quite the pillow-talker. You might want to speak to him about that."

"Something's different about you, Ridley." Caleb stepped closer to her, studied her. She was dressed as casual as she ever in jeans and a black tank top paired with flats. But somehow, the ensemble seemed sleeker, more sophisticated than usual. Ridley's smile faltered slightly, but only for a moment. "If you're going to be giving me the third degree, then I'd appreciate it if you'd help me carry these boxes to my car."

"Oh, Casey didn't come with you?"

"He works, Caleb," she replied dismissively as she hefted a box up off the desk. "which is also where I have to be in three hours, so pick up a box and let's go."

"You're working tonight?"

"Vacation's over, time to get back to reality."

"If you're moving in with Casey, why not just quit?"

Ridley let out a short laugh. "I'm more than capable of pulling my own weight and the two of us have already discussed this. I'll quit working at Nicky's once I've finished college."

"That's another four years."

"Three. I've enrolled in some online courses."

"Ridley, what the fuck?" Caleb snapped finally as they exited the building and entered the parking lot. "You're being really flippant about all this. And kind of...secretive."

Ridley stopped in front of her car and set her box down on the hood. She glared at him. "I'm not being secretive. You are being invasive."

"Invasive?! We don't hear from you all break and when you come back, you've decided to rearrange your entire life to better suit some guy you barely know!"

"Barely know," Ridley repeated. She jerked open the passenger side door of her car and shoved the box into the seat roughly. "The only person who knows me even half as well as Adam is Burko. Not you."

Caleb shoved the box he was carrying into the floor boards. He rubbed at his chin and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Nobody's heard from Tyler lately."

"I'm sure he's fine."

They gathered the rest of the boxes from the dorm and packed them into the trunk. Ridley slammed the trunk shut and Caleb put a hand on her shoulder. "If Burko said he was worried, would you listen to him?"

"I'm listening to you, Caleb," she said in a soft and reassuring voice, "but I trust Adam. I trust him more than anyone I know."

Caleb nodded tightly and squeezed her shoulder. "If anything strange happens or that changes, you call me."

She hugged him briefly. "Of course."

* * *

Caleb settled down in the booth next to Reid just as Burko lit up a cigarette across from them. "I saw Ridley today."

Burko took a drag off of his Lucky Strike and nodded and looked over to Reid across the table. Reid sighed and turned slowly to Caleb. "We didn't say anything because we didn't think it was such a big deal being that Ipswich is such a small place and all, but since Ridley was gone, Burko noticed a couple things."

"Nicky made a phone call right after I told him about Ridley being with Casey," Burko said in a low voice so as not to attract attention from the patrons sitting nearby, "and I wouldn't be mentioning it if it hadn't looked so fucking suspicious on his part."

"That explains why you didn't want to meet at Nicky's."

Burko nodded and continued. "The call lasted forever, too. About an hour, maybe."

"You both called me to talk about Nicky making a phone call?"

"Yeah, I thought he was being paranoid, too, until the other night." Reid leaned forward. "We went to Nicky's to shoot pool and take a break from doing some homework and who comes in, but Martin. You know, Casey's uncle.

"He sits down at the bar and Nicky comes over and they get into this totally heated discussion. Like, for hours, they're at the bar talking about who the fuck knows what and they look like all hell's about to break loose."

"And you think it has to do with Ridley dating Casey."

"Duh," Burko and Reid said in unison. Burko flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette. "I'd say I'm being over-dramatic about this shit, but you have to admit that seeing someone like Martin hanging around Nicky's is pretty fucking weird. It's not exactly his scene."

"No, it's not, but it could mean anything."

"Bullshit," Reid snapped, "this means something serious is going on."

"Or shit's about to hit the fan," Burko added. He shot Caleb a challenging look. "You know we're right."

Reid leaned back in his seat and stared down at the table top, refusing to meet Caleb's gaze as he spoke. "I told Burko about us-everything. Just so he'd be prepared in case anything happens."

"Reid," Caleb hissed angrily, "you fucking idiot!"

"Oh, what," Reid snapped back, "I can't make an executive decision? Do you really think we should wait and see what happens? How much do you wanna bet Kate already knows and is just playing dumb so you don't try to cut Pogue's balls off for narcing on us?"

"Reid, you're not exactly known for making good decisions!"

"Guys," Burko interrupted, putting his cigarette out and lighting another one, "if something big is about to go down, I think it would be in our best interests if you quit bitching at one another and actually went about trying to figure this shit out."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Caleb looked between the two. "All we have to go off of is suspicious behavior. We don't even know what we could possibly be dealing with."

"We should start by finding out everything we can about Casey," Burko suggested, "maybe if you talked to Sarah, you could get her to do a little digging. You know, get her to talk to Ridley about him. Girls like to talk about their boyfriends, so maybe Ridley will tell her some useful shit."

"Nicky's family is originally from around here," Reid added, "which means there's gotta be some public records we can get to."

Caleb nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, first thing's first, we keep an eye on Ridley."

* * *

Ridley seated herself between Caleb and Pogue and pulled out her notebook and literature textbook. Reid slid into the seat next to Pogue and Burko dropped down in the row below them, draping his arm around the shoulder of the girl next to him. Ridley snorted and rolled her eyes at him.

"Miss Scott, Provost Higgins would like a word with you."

Ridley exchanged looks with Reid and Pogue, who patted her on the shoulder as she slid out of the row and quickly made her way into the hallway. When she reached the office, Sherri was behind her desk typing out a staff memo. Ridley leaned over the stall divider to look at her. "Do you know why I got called into Higgins' office?"

Sherri shook her head. "No, honey, I didn't even know he sent for you."

Ridley frowned and sighed heavily. "Well, I better go in there."

Sherri nodded sympathetically. Ridley knocked on Provost Higgins' door.

"Come in," he called from inside. Ridley opened the door and stuck her head in. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

Provost Higgins stared at her silently for a moment before nodding. "Yes. Please come in and sit down, Ridley."

Ridley opened the door further and stepped in further, shutting the door softly behind herself. She settled down in the leather armchair across from Provost Higgins' desk and he laced his fingers together atop the desk. "Ridley, I'm sure you haven't any idea why I've brought you in here."

"No, Sir," she agreed and he continued, "Well, certain things have been made apparent to me by several members of the Ipswich community that concern me. Now, not all of them are to do with you and you are not the only student who I will be meeting with today, however this bears some importance.

As the head of this fine institution, I am in the habit of keeping myself informed of all the goings on of the students who attend Spenser-even during break and holidays, I make sure I am in the know at all times. Ipswich itself is not a large community and news travels fast."

Ridley felt herself begin to burn with anger and embarrassment as she began to understand just what Provost Higgins was beginning to address. Higgins raised an eyebrow at her from across his desk. "Ridley, I take it from your expression that you are aware of what I am alluding to."

"Highly," Ridley said tightly, "and I fail to see how it is any of your business."

Provost Higgins remained unruffled by her irritated tone of voice and went on as if she hadn't spoken so bluntly. "Spenser is a private school and as such relies heavily on funding from those who attend it. If its reputation is questioned or deemed questionable-"

"You lose money," Ridley finished for him. Again, he ignored her. "Now, I believe the students are entitled to their own privacy and that they are also entitled to certain freedoms. However, when students involve themselves in questionable activities, situations...I feel it is my duty to correct it."

"In what way am I in need of correcting?" Ridley snapped finally, pushing herself up from the chair indignantly. Provost Higgins held up his hands defensively. "Now, Ridley, I realize you believe that there is nothing wrong with involving yourself with someone who is older than yourself-"

"That's because there isn't anything wrong with it," she snapped, "and I still fail to see how it's any of your business!"

"It reflects poorly on the school itself."

"And just how does it do that?"

"It send a message to the community at large that, well," he said slowly, rubbing his hands together in a nervous and weary manner, "our students are rebellious, promiscuous, and-"

"Promiscuous," Ridley repeated, her jaw dropping in shock, "promiscuous! You're calling me a slut for having a relationship with someone who is older than me," she cried indignantly, feeling herself redden. She clenched her fists tightly at her side. "If you'll excuse me, Sir, I believe it's time I went back to my street corner."

Ridley didn't bother to wait for him to respond and instead ripped open the door and stalked out, slamming it behind herself. She stormed past the secretary's station without so much as a word, ignoring Sherri's startled, concerned questions as she fought hard not to cry. By the time she reached the women's bathroom, the tears had spilled past her lower lids.

"Promiscuous, Adam, he called me promiscuous, which was his way of calling me a slut, a whore, a-promiscuous," she wailed into her cell phone, leaning hard against the bathroom's sink. Adam was livid. "He called you into his office?!"

"Yes, he called me out of class and into his office. He basically told me that we were making the school look bad and that I made people think that the students here are slutty!"

"I'm coming down there," he said with finality, "and I'm going to take care of this."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Baby, you just go ahead back to class and I'll take care of it."

"Okay," she sniffled. His voice lost most of its angry edge. "I love you, Sweetheart. Don't worry about it."

They hung up and Ridley fixed her make up quickly before heading back to class. She slipped into the classroom as silently as possible, dropping into her seat without a word. Caleb, tapped her forearm and whispered, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head dismissively, refusing to look at him as she busied herself with taking notes on the lecture. Another office aid scurried into the room and handed the teacher a note. He sighed again and announced in an annoyed voice, "Miss Scott. You are wanted in the Provost's office immediately."

Ridley didn't even bother to look up. "He can wait. Please continue with your lecture, Sir."

When he didn't continue, Ridley looked up at him. "Really. My education is more important, I assure you."

He sighed long sufferingly and continued on and Ridley took her notes diligently until the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. She packed her books into her bag and quickly left class to head back to the office. Sherri was still at her desk, typing up a tentative schedule for the following spring semester. When Ridley leaned over the divider to look at the computer monitor, Sherri raised an eyebrow at her. "Something tells me Provost Higgins finally stuck his foot in his mouth."

"He was only doing his job," Ridley said quietly, running a finger over the leaves of a rhododendron plant. Sherri snorted. "Yeah, well, between you and me, he likes to poke his nose in places where it doesn't belong."

"He was concerned about the school's image."

"Yeah, well, he likes to jump to conclusions without getting all the facts."

"And you have all the facts?"

Sherri grinned and shrugged nonchalantly, "No, but one day I will, and when that day comes, I'll finally have an opinion on the matter."

She pulled a tin out of the bottom drawer of her three draw filing cabinet and popped the top, holding it out to Ridley. "Want a brownie? It'll make you feel better."

Ridley smile appreciatively at her and extracted to brownie squares from the tin. "No more cookies?"

Sherri laughed. "No, I still bake my cookies, but I'm branching out."

"Thank you, Sherri," Ridley said as she headed toward the Provost's office for the second time. She knocked on the door and then opened it without waiting for a response. Provost Higgins was still positioned behind his desk. However, he looked paler than usual and extremely uncomfortable as Adam was sitting across from him, arms crossed and glaring in the most intimidating way possible.

"You wanted to see me again, Sir," Ridley said softly. Adam stood quickly, glaring at Provost Higgins when he remained seated. Provost Higgins slowly rose from his chair, a sour look on his face at what Ridley supposed was his reluctance to admit to himself that he-like so many others in Ipswich- was terrified of incurring the wrath of Major Adam Casey. Then again, it could have been that he was loath to admit that Adam was more well mannered than he and had remembered that one is supposed to stand when a lady enters a room.

Ridley seat herself in the chair Adam had been sitting in and he moved to stand behind her. Provost Higgins seated himself once more and cleared his throat in a manner that indicated he was about to apologize and was feeling very put out at having to do so.

"Major Casey has made certain things and facts regarding the two of you clear to me and I hope that you will accept my sincerest apologies at having jumped to the wrong conclusion," he said rather tightly. Ridley nodded curtly. "I accept your apology, Sir."

She glanced up at Adam over her shoulder briefly before lowering her eyes to her folded hands. "Provost Higgins, I realize that to many people our relationship may appear to be...well, it's not exactly something you see everyday. We get that, but we expect to be given the benefit of the doubt regardless of what one may originally think."

He nodded. "I quite agree. It's obvious that the two of you are trying hard to maintain a level of privacy."

"Yes, Sir, we are, and we would like to keep it that way."

"Of course, of course," he agreed hurriedly, nodding emphatically. "I believe that's best for all."

"Well, Sir, if that's you require of me," she prompted slowly. He stood quickly, nodding, "Yes, yes, you two, like myself, have other things to do."

She smiled and stood, moving to the door. Adam nodded to Provost Higgins one final time, his angry glare never wavering as he followed her out of the office.

"Pompous jackass," he muttered after he closed the door behind them. Ridley smiled her amusement up at him. "He was just doing his job."

"Yeah, well, he shouldn't have made you cry," he grumbled. Ridley handed him one of the brownies and laughed. "What did you say to him anyway?"

"Nothin' much. You know, I just told him what he needed to know-cleared a few things up for him and told him that if he didn't apologize that I might be forced to have a word with some people in very high places." He bit into the brownie and Ridley gaped at him. "You threatened him?!"

"Aww, now I wouldn't say that. I just persuaded him that it would be in his best interest to be nice to you an' to keep out of our business." He shoveled the rest of the brownie into his mouth and followed her past the secretaries, who were watching them curiously. Ridley shook her head. "I suppose I should be happy that you didn't resort to physical violence."

"Damn straight you should be," he agreed. She laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well, then I am. Thank you for defending my honor."

"You're welcome." They stopped just outside the administrations office and Ridley leaned up against the wall. Adam braced one hand against the wall beside her head and leered down at her. "Now, I expect a proper 'thank you' when I get home tonight; one where you're naked."

She tugged on his tie, straightening it. "I'll think about it."

"Oh bullshit, you will," he snorted and she laughed along with him. "All right, all right. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I have a meeting that's probably going to run late tonight, so, don't worry about picking anything up for dinner on your way home from work if you manage to get off early."

"You don't sound too happy."

"I'm not looking forward to it," he sighed. Ridley rubbed his side sympathetically. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and pushed off the wall. "You better get to class."

"I'm on lunch," she assured him, "but I bet you have to get back to whatever you were doing before I called you."

He nodded. "Yeah, one of our clients is wanting us to cut corners that really can't be cut and it's going to take me a couple hours to convince him of that."

She leaned up and kissed him. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks, Baby, see you tonight." He kissed her back and gave her a quick pat on the backside. She waved goodbye to him and headed toward the cafeteria. Ignoring the deafening noise of idle chatter that permeated the large room, she made her way toward the lunch line. She grabbed a tray and sighed heavily. The smell of grease was simultaneously nauseating and mouthwatering. Kate sidled up to her in line. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Grats on the new sibling," Ridley muttered as she studied the hamburgers with distaste. She frowned in resignation and hefted one onto her tray. Kate grabbed her own burger and practically bounced. "Thanks. You know, these burgers are really not that good."

"That's because they're cheap imitation beef."

Kate lifted the bun off of her burger and studied it. "How can you tell?"

"The smell. It's nothing but a poor man's veggie burger."

Kate gave her a look. "You can tell that by smell alone?"

Ridley opened her mouth to respond in the affirmative and paused, snapping her mouth shut. She shrugged hesitantly. "I guess it could be a really cheap turkey burger," she lied, "my point is, it's most certainly not beef."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Whatever; so long as it doesn't taste like cardboard, I don't care. I'm starving."

They paid for their meals after grabbing up some side dishes and went to sit by Sarah and Caleb. Kate plopped down in her seat and turned to search the cafeteria for signs of her boyfriend. "Where's Pogue?"

"I dunno, I think he's in Provo's office," Caleb said, biting into a quesadilla. "Provo's been calling in random students all day."

Kate rolled her eyes and sipped at her diet Dr. Pepper. "That guy is such a stuffy old bastard."

"No kidding," Ridley muttered before biting into her burger. She swallowed the bite with a grimace and dumped her burger onto her plate. "This thing is disgusting."

"What are you talking about," Kate asked, after biting into her own burger, "it tastes perfectly fine."

"No, it tastes gross as hell."

"Then you won't mind if I eat it, will you," Reid asked as he lifted the plate from in front of her and seated himself beside her. He took a bite and gave her a funny look. "It tastes like the caf burgers usually taste."

She shrugged. "I guess I'm just tired of them, then."

Reid shrugged and continued to stuff his face, digging his hand into Caleb's side of fries. Caleb slapped his hand away with a glare. "That's my food, you mooch."

"Hey, friends share," Reid returned with a smirk as he grabbed a handful of the fries and set them on his plate.

"So, how was your break," Sarah asked. Kate turned her attention from the cafeteria's entrance and looked to Ridley. "Yeah, did you get any?"

"Kate," Sarah reprimanded. Kate rolled her eyes. "What, like that's not really what you meant."

Ridley laughed. "It was fun. I had a really good time."

"So are you two, like a thing, or what?"

"Um, we're definitely a thing." Ridley, poked at the berry parfait on her tray. "We kind of, sort of moved in together."

Kate coughed mid sip. "What?!"

"Are you serious," Sarah cried. Ridley gave her a funny look. "Why would I joke about that? Yes, I moved into his house. It's really nice and big."

"You don't think that's moving too fast?"

"Nope."

Sarah stared at her for a minute and then looked at Caleb pointedly. Caleb rolled his eyes and stood. "I have to go talk to Coach Hamm. Come on, Reid."

Reid looked up from his second pilfered handful of fries to Caleb with a confused expression. "Why do I have to go?"

"Come on, you moron!"

Reid grunted in annoyance and stood, mumbling, "See you later" under his breath as he shoved one last french fry in his mouth. Ridley waved goodbye and Kate nudged her urgently. "Okay, so spill! What's the Major like?"

"He's really, really great," Ridley replied in an embarrassed, shy voice, "I've never been treated the way he treats me."

"So he's not a dick like Tyler or Reid?"

She shook her head. "It's really amazing. When I get home from work we sit down and just talk about _everything_. I've never been with anyone who I was comfortable talking to about certain things."

Sarah's eyes widened in astonishment and she leaned forward. "You told him about the stuff with your dad?"

Ridley scratched at her shoulder uncomfortably and shrugged one shoulder. "He kind of heard it through the Ipswich rumor mill, but we talked about it a little. He told me about some of the stuff that's happened to him and I know it's kind of sick of me to say, but I'm really glad I've found someone who past is just as fucked up as mine. I don't feel so alone and I feel…necessary."

Sarah shook her head in confusion. "Necessary?"

"Like I matter to someone-and I don't mean in that 'I like you, you like me, so let's date and hold hands and skip through a field of daisies 'cause we're so fucking happy' way. I mean in the 'I feel physical pain at the thought of not being with you because I'm not real without you' kind of necessary." Ridley pushed her hair behind her ear. "The way he looks at me makes my soul burn. He knows everything; every little deep, dark, dirty little secret and every fatal flaw I possess and he still looks at me like I'm perfect; sometimes he looks at me like he's thinking I'm too good to be true."

"Wow, he makes your soul burn?"

Ridley nodded emphatically and stared at the table. "Sometimes, when we're in bed and it's really late and it's dark he'll say things; things a man like him isn't known for saying."

"Like really romantic things," Kate pressed and Ridley nodded again. Kate poked at the edge of her plate. "So, how's the sex?"

Ridley laughed out loud. "It's definitely not bad."

"He's like-what, 6'4"?"

"6'7"," Ridley corrected. Kate nodded and continued, "and completely made of muscle, so I have to ask. Is he big all over?"

"Kate," Sarah gasped, laughing. Ridley smirked. "Is Kira a complete bitch?"

"How big are we talking? Above average or well above?"

"I am not giving you exact measurements," Ridley snorted, falling back in her chair as she tried not to laugh any louder. Kate made a face. "Oh, come on! Now that I know he's packing, I want to know exactly how much."

"More than enough, I promise." Ridley shook her head in amusement. "Really, Kate, I seriously think you may be a bigger horndog than Reid."

"So things are definitely going good."

Ridley smiled. "Yeah, they're great."

"Caleb was kind of worried that, you know, something else was going on," Sarah continued, "like maybe there might be some things you're not picking up on."

"We're fine, I swear."

* * *

**A/N: I know you were probably hoping that I'd get to some of the strange behavior and tell you what exactly Adam's deal is, but I can't without compromising the rest of the fic. You will find out what is happening within the next two chapters. And I can't explain anymore without completely giving it away. There are several hints within this chapter (and a couple within the last two) alluding to what exactly is going on. You kind of have to tilt your head to the side and squint to pick up on them, but they are there. I will say this, Adam is NOT a bad guy. I will also say that character(s?) death is imminent. That's all I'm willing to give away.  
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**Today is the beginning of Fall Break for me, and while I'd like to spend it working on this, I have to go home and spend time with my family, so I won't be updating until next week-possibly the end of next week. But I will make it a point to update as soon as I can.**

**In the mean time, reviews would be lovely. Any questions you have, feel free to ask, I promise to answer. I hope everyone who reads enjoys the chapter. **


	24. Heartseeker Pt 1

**I own nothing. And this is a very long chapter.**

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Ridley stifled a yawn and rubbed her temples in slow circles. Nicky nudged her and she slowly turned to look at him. He raised an eyebrow. "You not sleeping enough?"

She shook her head rolled her neck and shoulders. "I sleep fine….I'm just feeling tired lately. I get a full eight hours."

Nicky gave her a disbelieving look and she rolled her eyes. "Okay, so sometimes, during the night I wake up, but I'm not staying up until the ass crack of dawn and you know it. I have priorities."

Nicky rolled his eyes and shoved a basket of fries into her hands. "If I have to have a word with your old man, I will."

"Please, I wanna know how it goes," she teased and Nicky scowled at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and slung a dish towel over her shoulder. She shook her head and headed out from behind the bar. Reid and Burko were at the pool table and Reid held out his hand for the basket without a glance in her direction. She thrust it into his hands and sighed. "So maybe what you said about Nicky not being happy about me and Adam may ring true."

"You know, I'm not exactly happy about it either," Burko pointed out. Ridley shoved his shoulder and glared at him. "That's because you're a Debbie Downer like Caleb. I never said anything about you getting it on with any one of those skanky girls you picked up at the bars around Boston-well, the not so nasty ones."

"Ouch, Rid, comparing your boyfriend to a skank," Aaron Abbott snorted. Ridley leveled him with her coldest stare. "No, I'm not and I don't remember anyone saying your opinion on my love life mattered."

Aarron blew out a cloud of cigarette smoke in her direction and her eyes began to water slightly. "Oh, I was under the impression that this wasn't a private discussion."

Ridley sneered. "Do I look like Socrates? This isn't an open forum, Abbott, so butt out."

"Go wipe down a table," he snapped back. Reid laughed. "Abbott, don't tell me you're being a whiny little bitch just because she's not single anymore."

Aaron seemed to have forgotten her in his anger at Reid and he threw down his pool cue to demonstrate just how irate he was. Ridley frowned at him and backed away from the table. There was no way she was baring witness to yet another of Aaron Abbott's childish fits. It was only the third that week and she was sure to see at least two more before the week's end.

"Scott," Nicky yelled from the bar, "take out the trash will ya?"

"Ugh, yeah," she sighed, tossing her dishtowel at him. She stomped to the back and glowered down at the overly stuffed trash bags that awaited her. Kicking open the back door, she picked up the bags and trudged over to the dumpster, clenching her jaw to keep from chattering at the cold. She hurled both bags into the bin-they were lighter than they'd seemed-and muttered under her breath, "Man can't take a minute to take the trash out himself. I'm wearing a fucking skirt!"

She stopped in the middle of her grumbling when she felt eyes on her and turned to find a man standing near the alleyway between the neighboring building and Nicky's. She frowned inwardly to herself, trying hard to ignore the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"Can I help you," she asked in an annoyed tone, trying to convey her bravery rather than the fear she felt. He was too tall, too big-almost bigger than any man she'd ever seen barring Adam. And the way he was staring at her was less than comforting. His eyes were a pale blue that was almost grey in hue and they were assessing. The way he was looking at her made her feel as though maybe she knew who he was, but just did not recognize him. He looked to be a little younger than Adam; possibly by a couple years or so and he was every bit as intimidating.

He only continued to stare at her, his eyes narrowing at the sound of her voice and his nostril flared the was a predator's did when they caught the scent of favored prey in the air. Ridley felt the urge to turn her back to him, show him she wasn't afraid, but knew it would be a costly mistake. She stared back at him challengingly. He cocked his head to the side. She scowled. "Right, well you have tons of fun lurking in alleys, you fucking freak," she snapped, as she quickly strode to the back door, careful to keep him in her peripheral vision. He never moved, only watched her. She threw open the back door to reveal Nicky standing just behind it, baseball bat in hand with a worried look on his face. She blinked up at him surprise. "You expecting some trouble, Nicky?"

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and pulled her in and stuck his head out to look around. The strange man was nowhere in sight. He looked down at her. "What took you so long?"

Ridley's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you talking about? I was only gone for like a minute!"

He frowned down at her and she rolled her eyes. "Okay, there was some creep standing around in the alley and-"

Nicky stiffened and stepped outside, casting a wary look around. Ridley stepped back outside, cold forgotten and studied the empty darkness beside him. There was something off in the atmosphere as if there was another presence somewhere not far off. "What is it?"

"Get inside, Ridley," Nicky ordered, the tone of his voice suggesting there was no room for argument. She backed up to the door, never taking her eyes off the surrounding darkness. "Nicky?"

"When you leave, make sure one of the boys walks you to your car."

Ridley wasted no time getting back inside. She was on Nicky the minute he emerged from outside. "What is going on?"

"Don't worry about it," he said, trying to brush her off. She glowered at him. "No, I'm going to worry about it! Everyone's acting really weird. I want to know what's going on! What is everyone trying to hide from me? Is it something bad?"

Nicky clenched his jaw. "I said don't worry about it."

Ridley swallowed passed the aching lump in her throat. "Does it have anything to do with Adam?"

"Let it go," Nicky snapped and Ridley felt herself wilt inside. She bit her lip and looked down at the floor trying hard to control her now rioting emotions. She should have listened to Caleb and Burko. But she just couldn't. Not even in that moment could she make herself face the fact that something was wrong because it was Adam and he meant too much to her.

When she felt Nicky's hand on her arm, her attention snapped up. He looked almost apologetic in that moment. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off huh, kid?"

It was all too much. She bit down harder on her lip and averted her gaze again. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Ain't my place to tell, Ridley," he said, patting her arm in an attempt to comfort her. She nodded slightly and pulled away from him. Just like always, things were beginning to unravel again. Why couldn't it ever be easy? Why did it always have to end in her hurting? Why couldn't things ever be uncomplicated?

"Ridley?!" She blinked and shook her head, coming back to the present. Caleb was standing in front of her looking concerned and confused. She hadn't even realized she'd walked out onto the floor from behind the bar. He continued to watch her as she fought to reorient herself. She rubbed her forehead tiredly, as she mentally began to catalogue past occurrences in her head and realized with sudden clarity just how much she had overlooked. "Caleb, something's wrong."

Caleb's brow furrowed further in worry as he waited for her to finish and Ridley was finally aware of the hot tears coursing down her cheeks. "Something's wrong, Caleb….with me."

* * *

It was a little after eleven and Adam wouldn't be coming home for another two days. It was one of the only things about his job that Ridley hated. Every month, Adam went into Boston and spent three days in town near the office in an attempt to get as much work done as possible so that he could have more down time, but it meant three days and nights without him and Ridley hated it. It hadn't occurred to her just how attached to him she had gotten until she had come home and spent the evening without him. She hadn't thought it possible to feel so lost without someone before.

It was cold and rainy outside and even wrapped up in one of the blankets from the linen closet with Panzer lounging halfway across her lap, Ridley couldn't seem to warm up. She couldn't seem to find her voice either. All five boys were gathered in the living room and Sarah and Kate were perched on the arms of the cream colored couch waiting for her to start talking and she couldn't find a beginning so she started with the first thing to come to mind.

"I can't stomach the smell of cigarettes anymore or the smell of exhaust fumes. I can smell every different brand of perfume and cologne every person is wearing when I walk into a classroom and everything tastes different-sharper." She sniffed. "The other day, I was making bacon for breakfast and I wanted to eat it straight out of the package."

"You're not…"

Ridley shook her head. "I took six pregnancy tests last weekend and they were all negative. I'm on the pill and I haven't missed a day. I don't understand.

"And then there's this feeling I keep getting of being watched."

"Who would be watching you?"

She looked up at Tyler and shook her head helplessly, shrugging as she did so. "I don't know. But I know someone is and every now and then I'll catch Adam staring off into the woods out the window, like he can feel it, too, and it scares me because I can feel how worried he is. And then tonight, there was that man in the alley way-"

"What'd he look like?"

"I never saw him before, but he was really big and he had these really pale eyes and pale skin and…" she scrunched up her nose. "He had a scar over one eye, like a big gash. He was staring at me like he knew me."

Sarah wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe you're just being paranoid."

Ridley shook her head adamantly.

"You're sure someone's watching you?"

She nodded up at Caleb. Burko clenched and unclenched his fists. "I think we can all safely assume it's Ted."

Her eyes widened and she hugged the blanket around herself tighter. "Don't say that."

"Yeah, Burko, if it was him, we would have heard something." Kate threw him a warning glare. "Her mom would have called."

"Yeah, if she's not strung out, but when is she ever not," Burko seethed, "he's always fucking with her one way or another-"

"What would the weird guy in the alley have to do with her Dad? Do you really think he'd be having creepy guys lurking in alleys to freak her out?"

Burko shrugged tensely. "He's a sick dude."

"That doesn't mean he would be bringing in other people to mess with her."

"I can't believe this is happening," Ridley blurted out, laughing humorlessly, "are we really discussing this? I mean, haven't I had enough problems? If it's not my Dad, who is it?"

"Well, none of this started until-"

"Don't say it," Ridley warned, glaring daggers at Tyler. "Don't you _dare_ say he has anything to do with this!"

"You don't know him," Tyler yelled. "You haven't even been with him a month!"

"No, _you_ don't know him," she practically screamed, "don't even think about blaming him for anything."

"Face it, Ridley, he's bad news," Tyler screamed back, gesturing to the group at large, "I'm not the only one who thinks it! You've changed-_he's_ changed you! None of this would be happening if it weren't for him!"

"Shut up, Tyler," Reid hissed. Tyler shot him an outraged look. "And you, you're just hoping by taking her side, that when all this blows over, she'll come back to you. You're hoping she'll forget what a fucking prick you are and-"

"Shut up, Tyler!"

"Both of you shut up," Sarah shrieked, shoving them apart. "This isn't helping! You're just making everything worse."

Both boys snapped their mouths closed and continued to stare one another down. Sarah let out a ragged sigh. "We don't even know if anything is related. It could just be a bunch of weird shit happening at once."

"I doubt that…" Pogue scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, ruffling his hair. "Maybe it's Chase."

Reid let out an exasperated snort. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!"

"If it was Chase, he wouldn't go through Ridley."

They all stared at Caleb disbelievingly and he scowled. "Well, I don't think he would."

"Looks to me like we're going to be playing the waiting game for a while," Ridley grumbled, scratching Panzer behind the ears and he crowded closer to her.

"I think maybe someone should stay here with you tonight."

Ridley looked up at Caleb and frowned. "You think that's really necessary?"

"If someone's watching you, then they probably already know Casey's not in town," he pointed out and Ridley's eyes widened. "Good point."

"Me and Pogue will stay," Kate volunteered and Pogue nodded in agreement. She looked to Ridley. "Then we can go in to town and do some shopping to get your mind of this for a little bit."

"Oh, shopping," Ridley smiled a bit, "I do need to pick up a few things."

"No, we're not grocery shopping, this is shopping for the sake of buying useless crap."

Ridley grinned. "I wasn't suggesting grocery shopping and it would be pretty funny if Adam came home to a house full of random bobble heads everywhere…"

Kate rolled her eyes. "What a waste of money!"

Ridley smirked. "I don't know about that. You should've seen his face when he got in his car and saw the hula girl I'd glued to his dash. Five dollars well spent!"

"Oh yeah, that sounds hilarious," Tyler snarked. Ridley shot him a dark look. "It was. If you're just going to be a dick the entire time you're here, then leave. I'm not going to put up with your immature little hissy fit. You didn't get your way? Well, that sucks. But don't try to take it out on any of us."

Tyler scowled at her before turning on his heel and stalking out of the house. Ridley sighed sadly when the door slammed shut. "I don't get why he's being like this."

She ran a hand through her long, dark hair and sniffled slightly. "I don't know why you guys put up with me. I just complicate everything."

"Yeah, you do," Burko agreed, laughing when she glared at him. He reached out a hand and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I put up with you because I kinda sort of love you, so I have to."

Ridley smiled up at him and tugged at his wrinkly shirt. "You're the brother I never wanted, so the feeling's mutual."

Burko moved to sit next to her on the couch and Panzer snarled at him and plastered himself across Ridley. Burko frowned and shook his head. "I really don't like him sometimes."

"Can we get back to the more pressing matters at hand?" Ridley stuck her tongue out at Reid and he ignored her, clapping his hands together. "Okay, after tomorrow, who's staying the night?"

"Caleb and I already have plans," Sarah said, looking to Ridley apologetically, "We're going to help Evelyn plan this year's Christmas Ball."

Kate raised her hand. "I'll stay both nights."

"No," Burko pointed at the other four boys, "one of them needs to be here since they can go all Jedi on them and-"

"It's not the force, Burko," Reid snapped as he smacked the back of his head. Burko rubbed the injured area and glowered at him. "Uh, yeah, it pretty much is."

Reid looked heavenward. "I'll stay."

"Well, I'm still going to stay, too." Kate smiled at Ridley.

"So, that's all settled…" They all looked at one another and Caleb started toward the door. The rest of the group followed, leaving Kate and Pogue behind.

Ridley showed them to the guest room and said goodnight before going off to bed. Panzer jumped up on the bed and flopped down on the right side-Adam's side-sprawling out. Ridley frowned at him. "You know, when he comes home, you're sleeping on the floor. Panzer looked up at her with what could only be described as a 'yeah, right' look. Ridley changed into an overly large tee-shirt and climbed into her side of the bed. She stared up at the ceiling for a minute or two, already beginning to feel lonely again. She pulled Adam's pillow over to her side of the bed and buried her face in it. It took forever to fall asleep, but when she finally did, all she could smell was Adam.

* * *

Being dragged around town by Kate was more exhausting than one would think, but Kate's exuberant approach to shopping was slightly overwhelming. She tended to flit from store to store like an overzealous hummingbird. Ridley rubbed at her throbbing temples and stifled her third yawn within the past minute. So far, Kate had acquired four shopping bags stuffed full with clothing and utter junk nonsense.

Kate held out a snow globe and Ridley took it with a raised eyebrow. It had to be the most ridiculous snow globe she had ever seen. All that was inside was a white plastic chicken. Ridley shook it and watched the large snowflakes swirl around it.

"Isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever seen?" Kate grinned at her, chomping on her gum obnoxiously. Ridley was too busy staring at the snow globe to care much about how loud her shopping companion was being; Kate was always a loud person, so it really didn't matter.

"I kind of like it."

Kate gawked at her friend. "Really?"

Ridley nodded. "It's definitely not something you'd expect. I mean, who ever thinks of snow globes and chickens at the same time?"

Kate made a face and followed Ridley up to the register. She sifted through a small basket of magnets as Ridley paid for the snow globe and shook her head when they left the shop. "I bet you're the only person who's ever bought one of those."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Ridley laughed as she moved out of the way of an older woman passing by. Kate gave her a pointed look. "I am."

Ridley just smiled at her and enjoyed the cool winter breeze. Kate hugged her coat more tightly around herself. Ridley wrinkled her nose and turned to look across the street. The scent of Sandalwood hung heavily in the air. Ridley pointed at the store. "I don't remember that place."

Kate squinted at the shop's driftwood sign. "Neither do I. What kind of bizarro name is 'The Sleeping Hourglass' anyway?"

"I have no idea. I bet all they sell is incense and books of bad hippie poetry."

Kate covered her mouth and giggled. "Oh, my God. We should buy some and give it to the guys for Christmas. Maybe include a book on the Salem witch trials!"

"Oh, that's just mean," Ridley said with a devious smile. "Let's do it."

Kate linked their arms and practically skipped across the street. "We should buy them tie-dyed shirts, too!"

Ridley laughed out loud as she pictured them all in matching tie-dyed shirts. "Oh, I love it!"

They burst through the front door and giggled more when they noticed a large shelf full of incense burners. Ridley smiled at the store clerk; an elderly woman with long grey hair and sharp brown eyes. She was in the middle of fanning herself with some weird fan. She stopped abruptly and stared at Ridley with narrowed eyes. Ridley stared back for a moment until Kate excited squeal attracted her attention. "Hey! They have books about sex!"

"Oh, my God, Kate," Ridley gasped, suddenly embarrassed. She didn't feel very comfortable discussing sex in public when there was an old lady staring her down in the most obvious way possible. Ridley snatched the book from her friend's hands and shoved it back on the shelf. "No sex books."

Kate's eyes flicked to the old lady and then back and she huffed slightly. "What? She can't hear us. Didn't you see her? She's practically ancient!"

"You don't know that," Ridley replied weakly looking anywhere but at the old woman and Kate. But there wasn't anything that held her interest and she was beginning to feel suffocated. Kate pointed to a stack of different playing cards. "That seems a little out of place."

Ridley's head was throbbing as if someone were pounding it with a sledgehammer. "No, they're not for playing with."

"They're playing cards."

Ridley shook her head. "Playing cards were originally gypsy fortune telling cards."

"Really?" Kate made a face. "Huh, how'd you know that?"

Ridley pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled raggedly. "Must have heard it somewhere."

"Ridley, are you okay?"

Ridley clutched the side of a shelf and shook her head. "No, I can't….breathe. Feels like my blood's boiling!"

She winced at the sound of Kate's shopping bags dropping to the floor. Kate's gloved hand felt cool as it covered her forehead. "Oh, God, Ridley, you're burning up!"

The pounding grew louder and Ridley rested her head against her forearm. She licked her chapped lips and grew confused when she tasted copper. She rubbed at her mouth and nose and pulled her hand away to find blood. Kate was near hysterics and screaming, but Ridley couldn't hear her very well. She reached out to grab her friend's arm. "No, Kate, I'm…fine…I just…"

Then someone else was yelling and black spots danced in her peripheral vision and began to cloud her eyes. "…can't hear the music."

Her head was still pounding when she opened her eyes and she jack knifed into sitting position. The old woman was sitting next to her and she was surrounded by drapes of brightly colored fabrics and the room smelled of roses and lavender. The old woman placed a hand on the middle of her chest and pushed her back down. "You, rest."

Ridley watched her warily. The woman pressed a glass into her hand. "You drink."

She gulped down the glass of water greedily and let her head fall back on the small pillow behind her head. It smelled of cedar and snow. She looked back at the woman. She took the glass from Ridley's hand and kept a firm hold on her, running her fingers of Ridley's palm. "You waking up now."

"Yeah, I'm awake now."

"Not yet. One day."

"No, I'm awake." Ridley stared at her quizzically. "You're either awake, or you're not. I'm awake."

She held up a finger as she said in an overly thick European accent, "One day. Sorry for blood."

Ridley tamped down on the panic she was beginning to feel as the old woman gently cupped her chin her hands and stared at her almost affectionately. "Where's Kate?"

"Calling you mate."

"Huh?" Ridley couldn't breathe again for a moment and the woman began to fan the air around them. "Sorry for blood, clean the air. Fill your lungs soon."

"Calling me 'mate'? She's talking like Crocodile Dundee?"

"No, _mate_." She pointed at her. "Yours. He come make you safe again. Yeah?"

"What?" Ridley rubbed her eyes. "Look, my brain is out of order right now, Lady. I don't understand."

Ridley reached into her coat pocket and frowned when she didn't find her cell phone there. The woman tugged on her hand. "Call you mate," she repeated, tugging on her hand to punctuate each word, "you know. You understand. Sorry for blood."

"Blood?"

She gestured to her face and Ridley felt herself flare with sympathy. "Oh, that wasn't your fault. I just…I think maybe I had a panic attack or something, but it wasn't your fault."

The woman held up Ridley's hand and pointed at her palm. "Changed. Not same as before. You safe now. Can be together now. Is your time. You mate very happy. Waiting very long time to have you."

Ridley jerked her hand out of the woman's grasp and stared at her. "I think maybe all the incense smoke has gone to your head and that maybe you should be the one laying down."

The woman grabbed her hand again and leaned in close, eyes shrewd. "He wait long time for you. Left, only one to go then come back. You make whole them."

Ridley just stared at her, open mouthed and annoyed to the point of anger. "You have to be the craziest person I have ever met!"

"Not understanded," she grumbled, pushing herself out of her chair and disappearing from view. Ridley scowled up at the gauzy curtains and swatted at one. "Now you read!"

Ridley jumped when the woman dropped a large tome on her lap. "Lots of pain and words make cuts and bleed. See with you heart and you okay. Make him okay, too."

Ridley lifted the tome to look at it and the woman took it and slipped it into the bag that held her snow globe. "Not for all eyes. Only those who see with hearts and ears."

She pointed at Ridley and said in a warning tone. "Stay away from dark light, but not too far. Need it, but no touch now."

Just as Ridley opened her mouth to ask her what she was talking about, Kate burst into the back room, ripping open the curtains. "I called Adam on your phone. He's on his way back now. He was really worried when I told him what happened." She put her hand on Ridley's forehead and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God, you're okay. I was afraid I'd have to take you to the hospital."

"Yeah, I think I'm okay now." Ridley sat up and pulled the fuzzy blue blanket off her and pulled at the neck of her sweater. Kate stared down at her, becoming worried again. "What? Are you feeling sick again?"

"Just hot is all," she made a face, "why is it so hot in here?"

"I think maybe you're still reacting."

"Huh?"

"I think you may have had an allergic reaction to one of the incense in here," Kate clarified. "I talked to Magda here about it and she thinks the same thing."

"Which one was it?" Ridley stood up slowly. Kate wrinkled her nose. "The one called 'Night Wood' has something called Aconitum lycoctonum in it. Lotta people are allergic to it, so she said this has happened before and you should be okay so long as you stay away from the stuff."

"You last time!" Kate stared after the elderly woman, confused by her odd warning. She grabbed Ridley's one shopping bag and helped Ridley out of the store. "We'll just go back and wait for Adam to get back."

Ridley slept the entire drive back to the house. When they got back she stumbled up stairs to the bedroom and undressed, pulling on one of Adam's dress shirts and crawling into bed. The sound of the television downstairs in the living room kept her from falling completely asleep and burrowed under the covers in an attempt to block it out. When she heard Kate's footsteps as she went to the kitchen to get something to eat, Ridley rolled to sit up in bed and looked around the room groggily.

It looked like any other bedroom she had seen. There was a bed, two dressers, a walk-in closet, two nightstands…but it seemed off. Ridley stared at her surroundings in consternation and slowly climbed out of bed. The hardwood floor was cold and it felt good on her bare feet. She wandered back and forth, looking around the room in confusion. She opened the closet and ran her hand over the clothes that hung there lightly. "All for show."

Ridley turned to stare at the shopping bag on the floor and debated whether or not she should read the book inside it. That lady had been beyond insane, sure, but…she'd been awful insistent. Ridley pulled open the bag and pulled out the book and settled into the bed. She flipped the book open to a random page and was less than prepared for what she found.

"_Heightened sense of smell, heightened sense of hearing, improved sight, extreme changes in ones psychological behavior-often times, an increase in ones sex drive, extreme periods of insomnia or increased lethargy, altered sense of taste. Deep, aching, tightness of the muscles, tendons, and bones. Increased flexibility, increased strength, decrease in one's impulse control. Increase in nocturnal activity."_

Ridley flipped back toward the previous chapter. _"Those affected are often either infected by a carrier who is either a victim of infection themselves or contracted the disease genetically and thus is a true carrier; those who are hereditary carriers are referred to as alphas. In some individuals this attribute is latent and does not manifest itself physically until contact is made with another alpha. Latent alphas are rare and in such cases the subject is often female. Due to dwindling numbers brought on by drastically changing times and the inherent competitiveness of the species itself-"_

"Species," Ridley muttered, flipping to the beginning, though she made sure to mark the page with a finger, "but it called it an infection and a disease….Here it is…"

"_Lycanthropy: often referred to by many as a disease or infection, is classified by those who suffer from it as a mutation of the species which created over time its own species-humans with the specialized ability to shift into a half-human, half-wolf form. Documented cases by of what are often times referred to as "questionable origin" indicate that like their human form, the wolf form of each individual is just as uniquely featured. What differentiates this species from all others is its ability to transmit through varying degrees of contact. One does not have to be born a Lycanthrope, to become one. Infected Lycanthropes are referred to as betas. Inherent Lycanthropes are referred to as alphas._

_"The term Lycanthrope as it is used in this text should not be confused with the clinical use of the word, which denotes that one suffers from psychological delusions of taking on wolf form. Lycanthropes in the actual genetic sense are indeed capable of physical transformation depending on several key factors, though mainly on pedigree alone."_

Ridley flipped back. _"Due to dwindling numbers brought on by drastically changing times and the inherent competitiveness of the species itself, known latent alphas of female gender are highly sought after among alpha males once the community itself becomes aware of their presence._

_This often leads to the fracturing of packs of renegade alphas, which break into fights to prove dominance in order to claim the newly acquired female as their mate. As of late, the pack has become almost obsolete as many Lycanthropes prefer to remain solitary in order to maintain secrecy. With the decline of the pack has come the decline in the numbers of betas, whose place in the pack community was crucial."_

Ridley slammed the book shut and stared at it. She thought back to the symptoms and sighed in relief. "I don't have all those symptoms. Think my parents would have told me if I was one."

She flipped the book open again and scowled. "Fucking thing is hand written!" Ridley tossed it away from herself. "Just some bullshit prank."

_Like there's really some group of scientists studying actual werewolves…God, you can be so gullible!_ Ridley shook her head in disgust and rubbed her forehead. She couldn't smell anything but woods and old spice. She pulled her hand away from her face and stared at her sleeve clad arm. _Not me. Him._ Ridley stared at her surroundings, feeling helpless and confused and more than a little panicked. Ridley leaned back against the bed's headboard and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Ridley felt herself begin to calm as she remembered what she'd read and she shoved the book in her nightstand drawer. _Maybe he's a latent one and doesn't know it. Most of them are female but not all of them… _Once it was sparked, the tiny little flicker of hope she felt began to grow. _It made them sound nice. Maybe they're not bad. The boys have weird magical powers and they're good guys, so maybe it's the same with-_

The sound of the front door opening, caused her to freeze. The familiar, rumbling timbre of his voice floated upstairs and before she had time to think, she was up and out of the bed and flying down the stairs. Hearing his worried, "Where is she? Is she okay?" was more than enough proof for her that he wasn't bad. She landed solidly against him and he barely wavered on impact though he seemed more than a little surprised by the sudden armful of crying girl he had plastered against him and before she could stop herself, she wailed painfully, "I missed you so much!"

Adam looked up to Kate, who was sitting on the couch with wide eyes, and wrapped his arms around Ridley. Adam rubbed her back and kissed the crown of her head, tightening his hold on her. He pulled away again and studied her worriedly, touching her face and turning her chin left and right as he watched her. "Are you feeling better? What's wrong?"

"Everything," she bemoaned, pulling away to wipe angrily at her tears. "You weren't here and I had to sleep without you and people looked at me that I don't know and- "she had reached the edge of hysterical and tumbled right over. "A crazy lady gave me a book! Don't ever leave me again!"

"Oh, baby, you don't have ta worry 'bout that," he assured her, running a hand through her hair. He trailed a finger along her jaw. "Told you this is for keeps, you think I'd really just up and leave?"

"No," she sniffled, "but I get worried. I can't help it. It's just me being a girl and paranoid."

"Well, you stop worrying- "He let out a startled grunt when she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his. The grunt turned into a growl as he bent her forward a kissed her for all she was worth. When he pulled away, Ridley was too dazed to remember she had been crying. He was smiling down at her with that soft look he got sometimes that she liked so much and it was making her insides feel like they were burning and ripping and being doused with ice water all at once. Ridley couldn't help it when he looked at her like that and she let out a tiny whining whimper as she bit down on her bottom lip. The reaction was instantaneous; his pupils dilated and his nostril's flared and Ridley was more than willing to accept what she knew to be truth when he hauled her up in his arms and stomped up the stairs toward their bedroom. When he looked at her like that, it didn't really matter.

* * *

**A/N: Um, yeah so that chapter was harder to write than I thought. I'm sorry it's sooo long. And I'm sorry it took me forever to get it up. I don't think it's as good as it should be, but it's as good as I know it's gonna get and I couldn't include what's up next because of the length. So I'm super sorry about that. And I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Oh, and Happy Holidays incase I don't get to update again soon.**


	25. Heartseeker Pt 2

**I own nothing. Also, there is a lot of mention of abuse and rape in this. If you don't want to hear about it, then don't read it. **

* * *

Ridley rolled over in bed and started awake when she came in contact with cold sheets. She sat up slowly and pushed the covers away from herself as she threw her legs over the side of the bed and reached for the closest bit of clothing. She stumbled into a pair of jeans and the tee-shirt Adam had worn earlier that day and then fumbled to pull her sweatshirt over her head. She wandered downstairs to the kitchen in a groggy daze and poured herself a glass of water, leaning heavily on the counter. She scowled grumpily at the large muddy paw prints on the floor and gulped down her glass of water.

"Panzer," she hissed, "you are in big trouble, Mister!"

She stamped her naked foot on the cold kitchen floor and stalked through the downstairs on tiptoe in search for the misbehaving dog. "Panzer! Come here, now!"

When Ridley came back to the kitchen, no sign of Panzer, she scowled at the large doggy door in the back door. She'd have to wait till morning to yell at him. She leaned back against the counter and looked up at the calendar on the refrigerator. There was two weeks until Evelyn's annual Christmas Ball that she'd skipped the previous year and then a New Year's Eve Fundraiser for Spenser's the week after. She shook her head as she looked over the calendar a second time. "Rich people sure do love their fancy dances."

She set her empty glass in the sink and turned back around to head back to bed when she noticed something on the calendar. Ridley flipped on the light and swore. Ridley really didn't think she could handle telling Adam he had eaten his dog when he turned into a werewolf the night before and wondered briefly as she opened the back door if she were insane. She grabbed the flashlight from one of the drawers in afterthought and stepped out into the backyard and screamed when her bare feet hit the partially frozen ground below. She hopped up and down for a second, cursing as she went.

"Panzer," she whispered into the dark, "if you're not dead, get your ass back here right now!"

Something whined off to her right and Ridley shined the flashlight in its direction. Relief washed over her when she saw him huddled up in a thick patch of bushes by the side of the house. "Oh, Panzer, come on, let's go back inside."

Panzer scuttled back further away from her and Ridley reached out toward him. "C'mon, let's go in." He whimpered and she hushed him. "Oh, come on, I promise I won't be mad for the mud if you come in."

He shrunk further away and Ridley caught the low rumbling behind her. Ridley's breath hitched in her throat and she felt herself begin to shake. "Please, don't be who I think it is."

Ridley turned slowly around and clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She slowly backed up in Panzer's direction and she stared at the slavering creature in front of her. Ridley kept her hand over her mouth as she stared up at the wolf before her. It snarled at her, revealing its long razor sharp teeth and Ridley fought the urge to wretch when she caught wind of its rancid breath. Despite how petrified she was, she couldn't stop staring; if she were going to die then what did it matter if she did a bit of staring at the werewolf that was about to eat her? It towered over her, with a hunched back as it bent to stand face to face with her and dug its claws into the ground. For a moment all she could do was watch as it scraped the ground with its massive clawed hand like appendages, squeezing handfuls of dirt. Her eyes traveled back up and over its matted, thick fur and she was finally able to find her voice. She let out an ear splitting scream at its pointed ears and large, angry pale eyes and an entirely too canine face contorted as it _smiled_ at her in an all too cruel way.

It flattened its ears as it moved closer and Ridley began to shiver in panic. It wasn't looking at her like it was hungry for _food_. Ridley thought of her father for a moment and panic and rage morphed into one and the flashlight flew out of her hand and hit the creature right in the face. Ridley might have laughed at its startled expression if she hadn't been aware of how dire her situation was, but she was alone, outmatched, and without any sort of weapon to defend herself and she screamed again. However, the flashlight seemed to have annoyed it enough that now she was sure it really was planning on only eating her and a small part of her felt relieved at that.

It gnashed its teeth and moved to step toward her, and Ridley squeezed her eyes shut at the thudding sound it made as it neared her and waited. And waited. And waited. She slowly opened one eye. It had backed away quite a bit and though it still looked more than a little angry and ready to gobble her up it wasn't looking at her. It crouched low to the ground and growled at whatever it was behind her that was approaching. The frigid air around her warmed slightly and Ridley jumped when a large huff of warm breath whooshed over her head. Whatever was behind her growled ominously and she actually felt the ground hum from the low sound; something in it was familiar and without hesitation, she backed up toward it. It stepped up behind her and she latched onto its foreleg and buried her face in its black fur. There was a surprised hitch in its growling and Ridley looked up.

Even as a werewolf, he still managed to give her that overly soft look that made her toes curl and her heart ache in just the right way. He looked away, toward the other wolf and the soft look was gone. Suddenly he was snarling and enraged and all sharp teeth and Ridley was a bit frightened when he opened his jaws and _roared._ Ridley wasn't given enough time to grasp the idea that werewolves roared because he'd had managed to shove her out of harm's way just as the other wolf lunged forward.

Ridley landed in a spindly bush and tried to push herself up from the ground and her eyes darted between the two frantically. The other wolf had managed to get him by the throat and he couldn't get a good hold on him. While he managed to slash deep into its torso with his claws, it wasn't enough to dislodge him and it was becoming harder and harder for him to catch his breath. Ridley looked around wildly for a moment for something to hit it with and fell over herself as she scrambled toward the side of the house and the rusted shovel half buried under a thick pile of dirt. Ridley ripped it from the ground and ran back with it, screaming, "Get off him!"

He turned toward her and Ridley brought it down on the other wolf's back forcefully, wincing at the crunch it made as it came down. It yelped in pain and promptly let go, turning toward her. Ridley swung again, catching it across the jaw. It staggered slightly and lunged toward her, but he was quicker. He swatted at it, raking it across the face and it howled in agony, but he didn't let up. His naturally blue eyes glazed over at the smell of blood and he tore into his adversary. Ridley sank back against the house, breathing heavily, and she let the shovel fall from her hands with a resounding thud. _I'm not seeing this,_ she thought frantically as she watched him literally tear her attacker limb from limb. She covered her mouth with both hands to keep from crying out loud and shut her eyes tightly, only opening them when the sound of bones snapping and flesh ripping stopped.

He was staring down at the mangled body with an almost regretful look on his face and when their eyes finally met she saw just how sad he was. He let out a barely audible whine and Ridley picked herself up from the ground gingerly. She flinched at the body, particularly when her eyes came to rest on the unnatural way the mouth was open, jaw hanging halfway off of the skull. The large scar over one eye made her gasp. _The strange man from the alleyway__._

Everything finally sank in and Ridley gasped for air as she started to cry and she reached out an unseeing hand. He was there, licking at her face and hands and growling in an almost soothing way as he sniffed at her, his sharp eyes worried as he watched her. Ridley wrapped her arms around his muzzle and kissed him on his nose and every other place she could reach. He wheezed slightly and Ridley's heart seized in her chest when she realized how tired he looked. Remembering, what had happened, she ran her hand over his throat and started to cry again. "Oh, God, Adam, you're bleeding out!"

She led him to the front door and broke through the front glass and unlocked the door and she pulled him into the house. She tried to ignore the sound of his blood as it spilled to the floor or the way his breathing was beginning to sound wetter and more labored. His paws went out from under him and he collapsed on the floor pinning her legs under his head. Ridley whipped her sweatshirt over her head and pressed it to his neck and turned as far away from him toward the coffee table as she could, reaching for the phone. She managed to knock it off the edge and toward her and fumbled with it for a moment until she realized she couldn't remember Martin's number and instead started to call Burko. He whined up at her at her and looked to the phone in her hands and realized that she couldn't call for help. If she did, everyone would know.

"Adam, God, what do I do?"

"Please, you can't die, you can't-I love you, you can't die," she sobbed hysterically. His blue eyes looked up at her calmly, almost peacefully and he licked her hand. She could barely see past her tears and the phone dropped from her hand. "I never said it, did I-I didn't-God, it won't stop! I can't get it to stop-"

"Ridley." Ridley calmed down enough to see straight. She pulled him closer and backed up against the couch. She pulled the throw blanket off the couch and covered him with it. He was shivering. "Don't talk. Don't talk."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm-" Ridley stifled another sob, "I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"I got a little banged up." He coughed and Ridley wiped the blood from his lips. "You took the wolf thing pretty good."

Ridley wiped at her burning eyes and pressed down harder on his neck. "I already knew. Stop talking. You don't have anything to say that can't wait."

He tried to laugh and ended up coughing up more blood. "You mean what you said?"

"What?" Ridley wiped at his mouth again. One of his hands clamped down on her shoulder in what should have been an iron grip but was instead barely grasping. "What you just said."

Ridley's eyes closed momentarily and she broke down as she nodded. "I love you. So much it hurts." He reached up toward her again and she bent over him and kissed his lips. "I love you."

"Good, tell me again when I wake up will ya," he croaked out and Ridley shook him when he closed his eyes. "No, no, no, no! Don't go to sleep! You have to stay awake. Don't you dare do this to me!"

"I'll be fine, I just need to sleep," he rasped out. Ridley shook her head furiously. "If you go to sleep, you won't wake up."

"I will, promise," he murmured against her sluggishly, "just don't…don't go."

Ridley inhaled raggedly and combed her fingers through his hair. "I won't. I'm staying right here."

His breathing lapsed into shallow pants and Ridley rested her head on the edge of the couch. She couldn't look at him right then. Seeing all the blood and knowing it was his was the most terrifying thing in the world to her. She looked back down at the sweater held to his neck and lifted it away cautiously. He wasn't bleeding very much anymore; it had almost completely stopped. But no matter how relieved she was at the sight of his blood having staunched, she couldn't stop crying. She threaded her fingers through his hair and rested her cheek against his temple.

She started when she felt a hand sweep over her tangled hair and pulled back to find him staring up at her with startlingly blue eyes. To tears that flooded her eyes were tears of joy and sniffed. He watched her wipe at the blood streaked across his face with a gentle touch. "You stayed."

"Of course, I stayed," she sniffed. He pulled himself up into sitting position, and brought a hand up to his neck, rubbing the wounded area. "That was pretty close," he muttered to himself. Ridley pushed his hand away and studied the gash. It was already closed up, but it was still an angry shade of pink.

"You're not supposed to keep secrets like this from me, Adam."

He looked dejected. "Are you gonna leave then?"

Ridley's eyes widened and she shook her head, cupping his face in her hands. "Never."

There was a pained expression on his face even though he seemed relieved. "Never's too long for you."

She watched him for a moment. "Guess you lied about a couple things to hide this."

"I didn't want to," he confessed, head hanging as she regarded him with a neutral expression. "But…you wouldn't have…you woulda never looked at me twice."

"Adam, I've been looking at you since I met you, you stupid man. Besides, I'm not exactly as normal as you think I am either. And if this was such a problem for you, if this bothered you so much, then why are you still here with me?" She watched as the sky outside fade into light, signaling the onset of dawn. "Why didn't you just walk away?"

"Because it hurts." Ridley's gaze snapped back to him at the painful note in his voice. "When you're not here-when I'm not with you, I hurt. And all I can do is think about how much I miss the way you make my blood burn and my insides tear."

He looked up at her finally and the helpless, loving expression on his face made her heart beat painfully. He raised a hand to cup her face gently. "I've been without you for so long, waiting for you to come back, that I couldn't walk away."

Ridley's brow furrowed in confusion. "Come back? Where'd I go?"

Adam smiled, but didn't answer. "I love you."

Ridley's confusion evaporated and she smiled at him shyly. "I love you, too."

He looked around at the living room and winced at the amount of blood. "Boy, I really did make a mess."

He pulled himself up off the floor and oblivious to the fact that he was naked. He scratched at his jaw. "I'm gonna start cleaning this all up. You oughta go back to bed."

When Ridley didn't answer he looked back at her to ask her if she was okay, but the question died on his lips at the way Ridley was staring at him. It was almost as if she was trying to decide between laughing or jumping him. He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Um, you're kind of sort of really naked," she pointed out, the corners of her mouth turning up in amusement though her voice had that bedroom lilt to it. He looked down at himself, eyes tracking over the dried blood crusted against his exposed skin. "Huh. Got blood all over me, too."

Ridley nodded and he scrubbed a hand through his hair, staring at the front door. His expression darkened. "I'm gonna take a shower and…"

Adam's shoulders sagged lower the longer he stared past the front door. "…then I'll go clean up the mess outside."

He started toward the stairs and her voice stopped him. "Adam, who was that?"

He didn't look at her as he spoke, "My brother."

Ridley froze in place as what he had said sunk in and Adam ascended the stairs. He'd killed his brother to protect her. Like her, he didn't really rely on his family, wasn't close to them, but it had obviously been a painful thing for him to do. She tiptoed up the stairs. She could hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom at the end of the hall. Ridley opened the door as quietly as possible and closed it just as quietly. She stripped off her bloodied clothes and slipped into the shower behind and silently wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek in between his shoulder blades and her hands over his heart. He covered her smaller hands with one of his larger ones and squeezed them as they stood under the steaming water pouring from the shower head in silence.

* * *

Ridley was more than a little surprised to find Burko standing at the front door the next night with a trash bag full of clothes and his guitar. He had a black eye and the hand holding his guitar was bandaged.

"What the fuck happened to you," she cried, scowling at him as she yanked him through the door. Adam called from the kitchen, "Who is it?"

"Burko," Ridley called back in an annoyed voice, glaring at her best friend, "he got his ass kicked."

"Yeah, and then the landlady kicked me out of the house," Burko snapped back. He looked angry. "A bunch of people were over at the house just hanging out and then these guys I've never seen before come over and start tearing shit up."

"Wow, she actually kicked you out," Ridley asked in surprise, "I didn't think she'd ever do it! I mean, this is definitely not the first time a bunch of people you didn't know come to a party uninvited and start busting shit up."

"Yeah, well, these guys lit the house on fire," Burko grumbled. He flexed his injured hand, ignoring her astonished look. "They lit the fire when I told them to leave for practically ransacking the place looking for whatever the fuck they were looking for. One of them bit me!"

Ridley's mouth fell open and Adam emerged from the kitchen with an equally disbelieving look on his face. "He bit you?!"

"Yeah," Burko yelled, "he bit me!"

He began to peel back the bloody bandage. "And it hurt like hell!"

Ridley stepped forward to study the bite marks. She ran her finger over the angry, red, crescent shape. "Wow."

Burko frowned in consternation and yanked his hand away from her to study it himself, muttering, "It looked a lot worse earlier."

"Well, it still looks pretty deep…"

Adam picked up the trash bag and jerked his head in the direction of the stairs. "I'll put this in the guest room."

Burko continued to stare at his wounded hand as he asked her once he was sure Adam was out of earshot, "So, Sarah told me you didn't go to help set up for the ball today like you said you would."

Ridley nodded, though she knew Burko wasn't looking at her and couldn't see her silent admission. "Panzer ran off last night and we can't find him."

"He ran off," Burko asked in surprise, "but…he's like the best behaved dog I've ever met."

"I know." Ridley sat down slowly on the couch. "Adam's more upset about it than he's letting on."

Burko leaned up against the wall and rubbed at his face in a very tired way. "Weirdest thing ever…"

Ridley would have agreed if it hadn't been for the night before. Adam came back downstairs and she remembered the way he had filled the night before-how overwhelmingly big he had been. And she had thought before then he was big and intimidating, but now. Ridley wanted to be frightened and she knew she should be, but she couldn't bring herself to ignore all of it and leave. He leaned up against the wall opposite from Burko, arms crossed, muscles bulging. He nodded at Burko's hand. "You want anything for that? We don't exactly have things to take care of it, but I can pour some whiskey over it."

Burko looked over at Ridley with a look that said, "Is he for real?!"

She shrugged in a sheepish manner. "Well, it's not like we go around getting bitten by things. You really should have gone to Gloucester and gotten that looked at."

"Well, I kind of was in shock that a fully grown man lit my house on fire and then _bit_ me!"

Ridley scowled at him and started to get up and Adam held out a hand for her to sit back down. She watched him questioningly, but eased back into her place on the couch and watched as he led Burko back to the kitchen.

Ridley leaned her elbows on her knees and ran a hand through her dark hair. She really didn't want to deal with Burko right then. She and Adam still hadn't spoken about what had happened or where they were going to go from there. He hadn't even attempted to explain this other side of himself and she knew she should be mad that he had hidden this important detail from her, but she still hadn't told her about the boys. She wasn't really sure it was her place to do so and it was possible that he had felt the same way about telling her. It was obvious it ran in his family.

Ridley thought about his brother; he'd killed his own brother to save her. It was more than likely he was in need of time before they talked, but if they put it off for too long, nothing could be done and they wouldn't last. She didn't want to read that book. She didn't want it to end up being the elephant in the room that they tiptoed around and she didn't want to read about it from some book. She wanted to hear it from him. To know how this would affect them.

The entire day had been spent in tense silence cleaning up the blood and broken glass. He had told her to stay inside while he buried his brother's body in the far corner of the yard, just near the thick lining of trees. She'd watched him through the kitchen window as he stood by the grave, smoking a cigar, eyes downcast. It had started snowing then and he'd looked so alone and it had hit her. He was alone in this _all the time_. Despite all the horrible things that had happened to her as she'd grown up, she had had Burko to lean on and then she'd had more people to get her through upon attending Spenser.

Even though it was clear he knew Nicky and Nicky was somehow involved and he had Martin, they all seemed so detached from one another. He did need her, just as she needed him. Still, the less assured part of her made her wonder if he'd only picked her because he knew she would accept it. How many other women had he chosen to share this with?

Just the thought of the possibility of another woman in her place, made her angry and propelled herself up off the couch toward the stairs. She didn't want to deal with Burko; he didn't like Adam and she knew he would snipe about something and like an irate idiot, she would snap back at him. Instead, she closeted herself in the bathroom and turned the shower on making sure it the water was as hot as she could get it. She stepped into the shower and let the steaming, burning hot water scald her skin, watched as her skin turned bright pink. It calmed her down some; she was now as tender and hurt outside as she was inside.

She heard the door to the bathroom shut almost silently and didn't need to guess who it was.

"Got the water on pretty hot."

"I'm upset," she snapped, shutting off the shower and stepping out. She tugged her clothes on angrily, staring heatedly into Adam's startled face. It took her a moment to understand why he was so surprised. She was fighting him, starting a fight with him. But it had to be done.

"You should have told me!"

His eyebrows dropped down and he scowled as he hissed out in annoyance. "So I was just supposed to say, 'Baby, I love you an' by th'way, I'm a werewolf'?!"

"Yes," she hissed back. He let out a disbelieving and harsh laugh. "You would have left me!"

"Like I didn't do last night," she shot back, trying to keep from raising her voice, "If I had planned on leaving you, I would have done it last night instead of keeping you from dying."

She remembered the sight of all of his blood pooled on the floor and the sound of his raspy breathing and covered her mouth with her hand and turned away from him. "You almost died."

"So did you." Just the soft tone of his voice, the hurt it held caused her to shake. His large hands closed around her arms and he gently tugged her back against his chest. She wiped at her eyes as he dropped a kiss on her shoulder. "Ugh, you still smell like that awful cigar."

"Smoke never bothered you before," he said quietly. She could hear the concern in his voice. "No, it didn't."

"You okay?"

She nodded against him and let him turn her to him. She let him hold her in silence. They both needed it just then and it felt so nice to have his bulk wrapped around her like an unbreakable shield. It was warm, safe, gentle, and loving inside, but hard, dangerous, and savage on the outside. She scratched at his back with her fingertips in soothing, looping circles.

"I'm sorry about your brother," she murmured into the center of his chest, feeling the thrumming and erratic beat of his heart against her lips.

"Don't be." His arms tightened around her. She looked up at him and stared into his impossibly blue eyes. "But it still hurts; I know it does-not having family."

He jostled her gently in his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're all the family I need."

"You sure about that? Because I think you'd fit in pretty good with the set up I have with-"

He shook his head, cutting her off and she couldn't help but frown. "You don't know them."

"And they don't wanna know me." He rubbed a hand down his face. "And I'm worried about what's happening. My brother came after you. I didn't even know he was here. And now someone's bitten Burko."

"But why would anyone…why would your brother attack someone close to you?"

"I think that's something that we should talk about in our bedroom and not in the bathroom within earshot of Burko."

* * *

Reid seated himself on the wet steps and lit up his cigarette. He barely looked up when the door opened and he heard someone approach him. They sat down beside him and he caught a flash of blond hair. "What do you want?"

"I'm worried about my sister," Christine said, leaning close to him to try to get him to look at her. "She won't answer my calls."

"That's because you were a bitch to her." He puffed on his cigarette and stared at the burning end of it. "I apologized to her. You haven't. We did a lot of messed up shit to her."

"I want to apologize," she admitted, wrapping her arms around her middle. "But I'm still angry with her for what she said about our Dad."

"Your Dad is one fucked up asshole. How many times have you seen him, huh? Maybe he wasn't like that around you, which is good, but you don't know. You haven't seen what I've seen, what Caleb and Sarah and Tyler and Pogue and Kate have seen. You didn't see her after he-" Reid's voice broke and he looked away, "-you didn't see what she looked like after he raped her."

His face felt hot and he wiped at the dampness running small trails down his face. "She was just sitting under the showerheads in the locker room in her clothes, crying and scrubbing. Burko had to carry her out. God, I want to kill myself for what I've done to her. Knowing how terrible she had it and I still messed with her. I still fucked with her head."

"So it is true then," she whispered quietly, "it really did happen. All those terrible things she said happened to her were real."

"Why wouldn't you believe her? Why would someone lie about something like that, Chris? Why?"

She shook her head. "It was just easier telling myself she was lying so that I could pretend it never happened to either of us."

Reid couldn't feel his arms or his legs and his entire being filled with freezing pain at her admission. "God, Chris? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"And say what," she asked desperately, "how was I supposed to tell my boyfriend that my father fucked me? That I was too afraid to do anything but let it happen and pretend nothing was wrong? Why do you think I was so happy to leave?"

She stamped down on a patch of snow at the bottom of the steps. "It was hard on me. Wanting and not wanting to leave. To get away from him, I had to let go of you. It wasn't fair."

Reid just stared back down at his cigarette and Christine rose and went back inside. He looked back out at the snow covered ground. "No, it never is."

* * *

Ridley paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. "So, you're how old?"

Adam winced. "I'm pretty old."

"But you can't just die of natural causes. Someone has to kill you." He nodded and she continued to pace. She tensed the slightest bit and looked up at him. "Were you latent?"

He sat up straighter in surprise. "What?"

She avoided hi startled gaze. "Latent? Were you latent?"

Adam shook his head. "Latency is rare. Hell, I've been alive for centuries and I've only heard of latent wolves. I mean, I suppose it's possible I've passed a couple dormant ones on the street…they're other half isn't awake so you can't smell it on them."

"You can smell it?"

He gave her a look. "Well, of course. At the country club, I could smell you the minute you stepped out of the limo."

She sat down on the end of the bed. "Why did your brother attack me?"

Adam let out a long sigh and mussed his hair in thought as he fell back against the headboard of the bed with a dull 'thunk'. "Well, that's kind of a long story. D'you want just the general gist of it or all of it?"

"All of it."

He shifted uncomfortably as if he hadn't wanted her to pick that option. "My father's pack still believes in the old ways and me and my brother were a part of it until we grew older and threatened his place as pack leader. We were thrown out. It happens to most males, except for the betas.

Well, in his pack-the beliefs they have-most of us don't believe in what they believe. They're perfectly fine with running down humans and killing them. They don't eat them; they do it for the thrill of the hunt. Sometimes, with women…"

His eyes grew infinitely sad as he watched her shrink at the implication of his words, but continued, "Sometimes, the women survive it and they kill them, which is better because the ones that get left alive don't really ever-they don't come back from it.

I never believed in that. I was kicked out earlier than my brother and I ran by myself for a while, but I met up with some others like me who didn't think it was right to kill unless it was for a greater good. Our pack was good, but my father's pack was poison. You had nothing with them. If you had something my father wanted, you gave to him without question. Loot, you share of a kill, a woman…he had six mates and all of them miserable. After I was born, my mother killed herself. My brother's mother killed herself, too."

"We killed some men ransacking…they killed the father and they had the baby and they were trying to get the mother to-we killed them." He rubbed at his eyes. "They were frightened, but thankful and we had an alliance with them for a time. We protected them and they gave us whatever we needed. It wasn't much, but at the time it was more than we'd ever get. But they were still afraid of us and then my brother came back."

Ridley placed her hand over his. She could feel the pain radiating from him. He gave her a thankful smile, but she could tell it didn't help much. "I don't know why, but my brother wanted back in our father's pack. And he spent years trying to win him over. When he saw the set up we had, he went back and told him and the two packs merged. There weren't enough of us and a lot of us were killed. Our pack had finally begun to find a place and we were starting to get along with the humans we were protecting and they came. And they took everything from us."

Ridley didn't know what to say and so she hugged him and kissed him until she felt him relax and the tension melt out of his body. "Somehow, I think you're leaving some things out."

"For the better." He looked at her seriously. "If my brother was here, my father isn't far behind."

She looked away from him for a moment. "You said you can be killed…how?"

He gave her a questioning look and she gulped. "Next time you may not be there."

Adam nodded in understanding, and wrapped his arms around her tighter. "There's the standard silver, but just touching it doesn't do a thing. Not enough of it penetrates the skin to do any more damage the an allergy rash. You gotta cut us with it. You can shoot the shit out of us, but you have to hit us where it's gonna hurt most and most people don't have very good aim and those that do get spooked when they see a giant werewolf barrelin' down on 'em."

He pulled away from her. "Honey, if you've ever got the chance, you shoot 'em in the stomach as many times as you can, it slows them down. But if you've got a shot at the neck, you take it and you empty your gun out on him."

"Is that all?" she asked. There would be no chance of survival for her if all she had to rely on was her aim with a gun. She'd never used one before. He must have understood her distraught look because he tugged on a lock of her dark hair and smiled at her. "I won't let nothin' happen to you. But you do need to know what to do, how to defend yourself."

He gave her a thoughtful look. "Don't know where you're gonna find someone who can do what it takes, but as lame and, well clichéd as it sounds on the 'things that go bump in the night' list: Magic."

She gave him an incredulous look. He laughed at her expression and rubbed her back with a large hand. "Hey, you may think I'm kidding, but it's out there and if it's powerful enough; just one hit can drop a wolf my size. I'd prefer to go out that way then at the burning stench of Wolfs bane. That way, it drops you, but your insides start to boil and you start coughing up blood. Used to be, back in the day, witches used it to catch one of us. They burned just a little; just enough to incapacitate one of us so they could catch us and cut us up for things. Even just a little burned is enough to make you sick. You start feeling like the world is fallin' out from under you and you're swimmin' in air and it gets hot like a furnace and then you start bleedin'; sometimes out your eyes, sometimes out your mouth, but they usually make sure it's just a nose bleed. Your eyes or mouth start leakin' like they done too much damage to you."

Ridley forced herself not to focus on the old lady in the shop. "People still hunt you down like animals, too."

"Those that know of us usually see us as one of two things: men and women, or animals no better than rabid dogs. Most people pick the latter more'n the former. I don't blame them. There's a large enough group of us out there who aren't any better than a rabid dog."

Ridley sat up and away from him and tucked her legs up against her chest. Adam watched her in concern. She looked so scared of him just then and his chest started to heave painfully. She picked at the sheets on the bed, ridding them of imaginary lint. "Adam, don't be mad, but I have something important to tell you."

He sat up straighter as well, his eyes roaming over her face. "What's wrong, Ridley?"

"You have to promise not to kill them or hurt them," she whispered, "I don't want them hurt."

He fell back again with a neutral expression on his face. "So the rumors are true then? They have the power."

Ridley nodded, hanging her head. "Don't hurt them, please. They don't know about you and I won't tell them. But you need to know. They may try to use it on you as a prank and if it could hurt you…."

He just nodded. "I won't hurt them," he promised, patting her spot beside him in bed. "Now, let's go to sleep. We gotta go look for our dog again tomorrow."

"We still have a lot to talk about."

"I know."

* * *

**A/N: If this has gotten confusing, I'm really sorry, but I didn't want to put out there what exactly was going on. And there will be more explaining the further this goes. More characters will be added to both replace characters that will be leaving and to fill in spaces that need to be filled. I know this has been OC heavy the past few chapters, but it's going to deal with ALL of them in the end and this has pretty much been set up for upcoming events. I'm also sorry I didn't update this sooner because the next part is kind of Christmasy and stuff and now you it's late but my chritmas was drama filled and I didn't have time to even start cleaning up that chapter for posting.**

**If you have questions or are confused, I will be more than happy to explain anything you are having trouble with. When I have the time, I reply to reviews where people ask questions. So, ask away if need be and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
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	26. And so, She Sleeps Pt 1

**I don't own anything except the OCs I've created.....**

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* * *

  
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"Burko," Ridley called through the heavy wooden door, "it's not that bad."

There was sharp growl on the other side of the door and Ridley's shoulders slumped a bit. "I'm sorry," she said finally, "I never wanted this for you. Or for me."

She started to turn away when the lock popped open and she quickly pushed the door open far enough to enter. The room was in shambles; there were feathers from the recently shredded bedding coating the floor and the blinds had been ripped from the window. There were a couple holes in the dry wall from where Burko had managed to gnaw one of the drawers out of the dresser and chuck it into the wall. Burko was sitting in the centr of it all, snarling and angry. Ridley settled on the floor and leaned up against the foot of the bed.

Adam wasn't home and hadn't been in a very long time-he had missed Evelyn's party. She held up the book she had carried in with her. "He didn't want me to tell you this by myself, but I'm mad at him and-"

She burned red with shame as she stared down at the floor. "I'm starting to wish I'd never gone on that date."

She opened the book and started reading, and after a while, Burko had calmed down enough to shift back to human form. Ridley wasn't sure how long it usually took someone to figure out how to shift, but she was sure Burko had been quickest. She also noted that it was voluntary. _He's an Alpha then,_ she thought to herself and her brow furrowed, _but how is that possible?_

Burko was naked, but neither seemed to notice as they sat side by side. Burko stared at the destroyed room around him for several long minutes before asking, "So, what are you going to do? History repeats itself, you know."

"I'm hoping it won't."

"You know, I like Adam. I really do, but," Burko mumbled, twirling a feather between his fingers, "the guy is willingly endangering you by getting involved with you and it all seems very selfish. And this Magda lady, she seems like she's helping but not telling you as much as you should know."

Ridley flipped back and forth through the pages of the book, staring at the blank pages of the last half. "This time will be different," she argued. Burko gave her a look. "How can you be sure?"

Ridley scowled at him and opened her mouth to retort when she felt a sharp pain in the pad of her thumb. She shifted her glared to the papercut and was surprised to see how much it was really bleeding. A large, bright red droplet fell to the empty page and she cursed and started to stick her thumb in her mouth when the page _changed_. She blinked several times and Burko looked at her in concern. "What is it?"

"It changed," she whispered, "there." He followed the line of her finger to the place on the page she was pointing to and shook his head. "I don't see anything."

"I don't but I do."

Burko leaned forward. "What does it say?"

"It's strange," she said, "It's in a different language, but I understand it."

"Read it, then," Burko insisted. "I wanna know what it says."

_ "The dates are not important. Time does not matter; not anymore. My brother and I were taken in by the gypsies when they found us wandering the woods at night. Magda has raised us as our own. "Beware of wolves" she says to us. "Beware of wolves" she tells me before I drift off to sleep. I ask her what she means, but she never answers with anything more than, "Better a witch than a wolf, Arina. Beware of wolves."_

_My brother, Luka, says she is slowly going mad with age, but I hear the wolves at night. They howl in the distance. Some nights, they are closer than others. Luka says they will not harm us; they are more afraid of us than we are of them, but when he says this, I think to myself 'Beware of wolves'._

_Luka and I spent our days alone. The two of us united in loneliness. No parents and no friends; while were accepted we were not permitted to mingle with the other children. We were 'different' they said. But Magda told us otherwise. "You are very special, Arina. For only pure love could have made you and your brother. But you most of all. For the mixing of your blood was thought to be impossible."  
_

_She would not tell me what my blood was, but I knew there was magic in it. That much I knew. And I was taught from the moment I arrived until the moment I left, everything the old woman knew. I mastered my power and practiced often. But would never understand some of its mysteries. "Magda, how is that you have never died."_

_Magda had been with us-the clan-for longer than anyone could remember. She had been the clan elder for generations. "It is my duty to see this ended. I will remain until it is done."_

_"What's done?"_

_"Beware of wolves," she warned again, then clasped my shoulders in her bony hands. "You will never die, you will never age, if you choose the correct path." She let go suddenly and I stumbled. She looked so very sad in that moment. "Choose the wrong one...and you both die."_

_"Luka?!"_

_Magda shook her head. "He will live until time is done."_

Ridley closed the book_. Something isn't right, something isn't making sense,_ Ridley thought suddenly. _Why would Magda be helping Adam if he were bad?_ Or was she wrong in posing that question. She stared at the book in her hands_. _Magda wasn't helping Adam_, _she suddenly realized. Magda was helping looked over at Burko. "I don't think..." she started to say, then stopped. She really didn't want to say what she was thinking. But she had to tell him. She had to let him know. He of all people, needed to know. "I don't think I'll be living much longer."

Burko's eyes widened and he sat up straight. "What?!"

"Arina and Luka," said quietly, "I don't think she made it. Whatever happened, I don't think she survived."

"And what does that have to do with you," Burko questioned angrily. Ridley thought hard for a moment and then it was if someone had fitted all the pieces together. The woman Adam had loved, fought so hard for when he was young, had died, she had written parts of the book he owned, and Magda was mentioned. Ridley sat quietly, her voice despondent. "I think I'm her."

"Who?"

"Arina," she looked at Burko. "And that would make you my brother-"

She stopped suddenly and then grasped his shoulders and shook him once. "The mixed blood! That's it! That's what it's all about, every bit of it! What his father wants-"

"Maybe it's what he wants, too," Burko said solemnly. "Maybe, he knew."

Ridley shook her head adamantly. "No, he'd never do that to me. He'd never do that-"

"If Adam had never come along, would you be happy?"

Ridley opened her mouth to yell that no, she wouldn't be, but the look on his face told her to consider it seriously. She shut her mouth into a thin line. "Maybe."

"You could have ended up with Reid," Burko sighed and Ridley stiffened. "Reid never loved me. Not the way Adam does."

Burkos eyes were liquid gold as they stared into her, daring her to argue as he spoke. "You're right; Reid's love is selfless. He loves you even as you choose to love someone else, only wishing that you're happy."

And then Burko suddenly realized how unhappy he really was with the whole mess. "The way he looks at you sometimes...Adam looks at you with love, but there are many kinds of love."

"I never thought I'd see the day where you'd defend Reid," she said in a dangerously low voice, "especially after what he did to me."

"He broke your heart," Burko replied bluntly, "but if what you're saying is true, then it's Adam that gets you killed."

Without another word, Ridley walked out of the room and into her bedroom, slamming the book down on the nightstand. She heard something roll off the side and under the bed. Panzer, who had been sleeping on the bed, jumped down and tried to crawl under the bed after it, whining as he wriggled. "Panzer? What?"

She bent down on her hands and knees and slide halfway underneath the bed to grasp the object. Once she had it, she stood back up and then flopped back on the bed, and looked at it. She frowned. It wasn't heavy. In fact, it was feather light, smooth and round and it shone in the light. She tossed it between her hands and stared at it. Whatever it was, wherever it had come from, it wasn't going to solve her problems.

"What the hell are you for anyway," she muttered aloud, watching how the light caught it at strange angles and danced rapidly. She sniffed the air-Adam had been gone so long that she could barely smell him anymore. She froze when the full meaning of "mixed-blood" made itself clear. She jumped up and ran to Burko's door and began beating on it. "Burko!"

He threw it open and she grabbed his arms and shook him. "I'm-we-you were right!"

"What? Huh?"

"I'm the mixed blood!"

His brow furrowed. "I get that, but-"

She shook her head in exasperation. "Think about it. You're an Alpha, like I explained. But if I'm Arina...."

"And she had powers..."

"And we're really brother and sister..."

"Holy shit," he whispered, "Mixed blood."

And just like that, something lanced through her heart painfully. "And that's really why he loves me. The mixed blood."

"What's that?" Burko pointed to the orb in her hand. She looked at it. It looked at and it was humming, "I found it just now."

"What's it for?"

She shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure." She felt the absurd urge to laugh as she mumbled out, "Maybe it's a crystal ball."

"Maybe it is."

That sobered her up instantly. "Crystal balls aren't real, Burko."

He gave her a sardonic look. "And neither are werewolves."

She scowled at him halfheartedly and then held the orb up, inspecting it. "Well, if it is, how do I get it to work?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Her scowl was full-blown this time. "Thank you. You're such a great help."

"Fuck you," Burko muttered as he backed into his room. "When you figure it out, come get me. It's not like we have anything else to do."

Ridley frowned at his door and then shuffled back to her room, glancing over her shoulder and back at the door muttering, "I'm the one who's gonna die and I still have to do all the work."

She fell back onto the bed and held up the orb. She looked over at Panzer. "Do you know how to make it work?"

Panzer rolled over onto his back and snorted. Ridley sighed and did the same. "Me either."

He rolled back over and licked at her hands. Ridley sat up and patted his head. "I just wish I knew what happened. How did the mixed blood get passed down to me and-"

The orb started humming again. Ridley held it closer and her mind blanked to white in a flash.

Ridley looked around herself. The woods were thick and dead leaves carpeted the ground. It was chilly out. Ravens were screaming...or were they crows? A murder fo crows. Ridley started walking in their direction. And after a few minutes, she could hear it-the wailing, the sobbing. And she could smell the blood. It was ripe and rotten, as if it had been spilled all night and on into the morning.

And then she was looking down at herself, lifeless yet undamaged.

"Arina," called a boy, lifting her up, pulling her to him as he fell to the ground. Her head lolled back and her dark hair fell over her face. There was another wail and Ridley looked to her right. Magda was sobbing and crying and muttering. Burko-no, Luka-was holding her up just barely as he stared at the still form of his sister in the boy's arms.

"Arina," he whispered again, moving the hair away from her face and then took one of her pale hands in his. He looked absolutely devastated.

"I'm sorry," somone whispered beside her, and she jumped around to find Adam staring down at her and the boy with a lost look on his face. "This wasn't supposed to happen this way."

The boy looked up finally and Ridley felt like someone had burned her from the inside out. "Why did you come back?"

When he didn't respond, the boy screamed, "You did this! You killed her! This is your fault!"

"I thought I could stop him from doing what I started."

The boy wrapped his arms around her and began to rock back and forth, burying his face in her hair as his shoulders shook. Ridley couldn't help herself. She collapsed next to him and ran her fingers through his light hair. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry I didn't know until now. I should have known, but I didn't and I'm sorry." Ridley kissed his wet cheek. "I'm going to fix this."

She looked up and around, looking for someone, something that could fix this. Adam was gone. Her brother was still as a stone. And now, Magda was looking right at her.

"Give her to me," she cried, racing toward her and holding out her arms for Arina's body, "give her to me right now!"

"Can you bring her back?"

Magda looked to Ridley and then back to the boy and nodded. "I think I can. But to keep her safe she will sleep until the time comes."

He looked back down at Arina. "Then I will, too."

"So will I," Luka said. Magda nodded and looked back at Ridley. "We all will."

And then Ridley was staring at nothing, she was nowhere, she was at peace, and her hand was held tightly in his. And in the next moment, the nothingness was gone and the blur before her was nothing more than a dark ceiling. She felt strange, off kilter. Someone was talking, but she couldn't understand them. They grabbed her and pulled her down gently, cradling her in their arms and shaking her softly. "Ridley? Come on, wake up. Please, wake up."

She let out a small moan and shut her eyes tightly for a moment before she started to sit up. And before she could stop herself she was calling out in a hoarse voice, "Reid?"

The response was immediate. "I'm right here, Ridley, I'm right here." She felt his arms circle her and realized that the person begging her to wake up had been him. His icy blue eyes connected with hers and searched her questioningly. Ridley couldn't stop herself from crying. "I saw it, I saw her dead, and you were holding her..."

"Wait, who?" It wasn't Reid who had asked, it was someone else, but she was too hysterical and she couldn't look away. It had to be real, he had to be there. "He said he loved her and he killed her!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Why were you unconscious for three days?!"

She looked around in a daze. All four boys were there and Burko was leaning over Reid's shoulder, eying her with brotherly concern. He seemed to understand. "It was Arina wasn't it? Adam killed her."

Ridley nodded and her she looked up at him worriedly when she noticed just how grave he looked in that moment. "Ridley, there's no easy way to say this, but...Martin's dead."

"What?"

"They found him in the woods near Caleb's colony house." That was Pogue. "What does this have to do with what's going on now."

Ridley rubbed her head. "Everything." When she started to sit up, Reid helped to steady her. She smiled her thanks and looked back to Burko. "I don't think he did it."

"I talked to Nicky," Burko said quietly. Ridley's wide eyes got wider. He looked around and then looked at her pointedly. "I'll tell you about it later."

She looked at everyone pointedly for a moment before looking at Reid. "I really need to talk to you."

With a roll of his eyes, Caleb led everyone out of the room. Tyler scowled at Reid and Pogue patted his back, leaning in to whisper, "You snooze, you lose."

When the door shut behind them, Ridley took his hands in hers and took a deep breath looking at him in all seriousness. "I need you to not freak out."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay..."

She reached across the bed and pulled the orb out from under the bunched up blankets. Reid pointed at it and frowned. "Please tell me that's not a crystal ball."

"I think it may be."

"Those aren't real."

"Says the boy who can dematerialize at will," she said with an 'are you kidding me' expression on her pretty face. She had him there. He looked back down at it and what saw, quickly made him a believer. He pointed at it. "What's it doing?"

"I don't-" Her eyes went wide for a second and then they slipped closed as she fell back on the bed. Reid lunged forward and pulled her up against his chest, shaking her frantically. "Ridley, Ridley, come on, don't do this again."

He gripped her hand that was still clutching the orb and then he leaned down and kissed her and then he saw nothing but white.


	27. And so, She Sleeps Pt 2

I don't own anything but the OC's I've created....

* * *

He could swear he was looking at a mirror image of Ridley, but it wasn't Ridley. Because Ridley was standing next to him gripping his hand tightly while she whispered how sorry she was, over and over. She was dancing, dancing with Burko, though she called him "Luka" as she called and laughed for the others to join them. It was so dark and so cold out, but the light from the fire flickered across the faces of the small troupe surrounding faces, and one in particular caught his eye and he looked to Ridley, sure he was seeing things. She nodded her head and continued to watch. Mirror Ridley stumbled out of the circle, still laughing.

"Arina?" Burko-Luka- called. She waved him off. "I will be back brother," she laughed as she wandered off into the surrounding woods. Reid looked over at Ridley. She was already following her. A twig snapped somewhere behind them and Arina spun around. She looked at the boy nervously, hugging herself as he approached slowly. He couldn't quite look her in the eye for a moment, but when he finally did, his eyes were full of intensity. "I'm really glad you're back, Arina."

Hope blossomed on her young face. "You are?"

He nodded mutely and they averted their gazes to the ground. Arina bit her lips and wrung her fingers before she whispered out in a sad voice, "I missed you."

"When you left, it didn't seem very much like you cared." His tone wasn't unkind and he didn't sound bitter. Simply resigned. Arina shook her head. "I left because I was afraid if I did not, something bad would happen."

"Why did you come back?"

She smiled sadly. "It's of no importance."

"Can you say it? Only this once," he asked. "Can you say that you came back for me?"

Arina's eyes teared up and she flung herself at him, her hands clasping tightly around his neck. "I love you," she cried into the crook of his neck, "And I did come back for you."

His arms wound around her back and he bent his head to hers. "I love you."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. He pulled back from her and shook his head. "You did what you thought you had to do. You protected everyone. You were trying to do the right thing."

And then Reid's eyes opened and he found himself lying next to Ridley, the small orb clutched in their hands as they stared at each other in quiet slumber. They were the only two in the room. Ridley was looking at him with hazy eyes. She looked exhausted. He disconnected his hand from the one he had been holding and brought it up to cup her face. She smiled, but it was sad.. "I promise, I'll fix this."

Reid just nodded and pulled her closer, leaning his forehead against hers. "I know. I know you will."

* * *

Ridley walked to the clerk's desk and waited until she looked up. She had coke bottle glasses and her hair was in an extremely tight bun. The expression on her face was severe. "I was told this is where I'm to come for-"

The clerk wordlessly thrust a small stack of papers at her, all the while looking down her nose at her. Ridley's darted between the clerk and the papers and she felt herself beginning to blush. The clerk snorted humorlessly. "You're the youngest one I've seen today-all week really."

Ridley reddened further and spun on her heels and hurried out of the building. The first time she had come there, it had been on much happier terms. She started her car and headed for school. Even if those papers were important, so was school. She still needed to talk to Burko.

Burko was waiting on the steps outside. He put out his cigarette as she met him and they walked inside. "Did you get 'em?"

She nodded. "What did Nicky say?"

Burko was silent for a moment. "He's not coming back."

Ridley actually stopped dead in her tracks, confusion written all over her pretty face. "What?"

"Nicky said he just couldn't do it to you again...he couldn't punish you for something beyond your control," Burko kicked at the marble floor. "But I'm betting anything that since Martin's dead, he'll be back."

"I hope not," Ridley mumbled bitterly. Then she thought for a moment and her brow furrowed. "When I saw him...he was sorry."

Burko rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that a douchebag that goes around killing girls doesn't feel sorry."

"I think he really did fall in love with her. I just don't think he realized it until it was too late." She looked down at her shoes. "Maybe that's why he left me..."

It was Burko's turn to stop in his tracks. "You're not seriously thinking...you're not going to go look for him or something?"

"Of course not!"

"Good."

When they reached class, everyone was already seated and there were only two seats open; both in different rows, one between Reid and Tyler and two other boys. Ridley made her way over to it quickly and Burko scowled at the boy next to Ridley. "Move."

Without a word, the boy was out of his seat. When Burko seated himself, Ridley rolled her eyes. "Impressive."

"Guess it pays to be half-mutt," Burko muttered grumpily as he slammed his books down in front of him, "At least I'm attempting to find the bright side in all this."

"And what would that be," Ridley bit back. Burko leaned in close, "It means, next time I see your puppydog, I'm going to tear him limb from limb."

"Why would I have a problem with that?"

"I don't know. Why would you?" They stared at each other for several minutes. Burko's gaze flicked over her shoulder and then back to her. He gave her a pointed look and then turned to stare at the front of the classroom. Ridley sat back in her seat and studied Reid out of the corner of her eye. He too was staring ahead, one gloved hand posed before him as he drummed his fingers lightly on his chin. Ridley heaved out a long suffering sigh; obviously things were going to be awkward between them from now on. Ridley scowled at her notebook and leaned forward to doodle on it.

_Just fucking great,_ she thought to herself, _Adam's evil and now Reid's not talking to me and I'm going to die sometime soon._ As the teacher droned on Ridley grumbled bitterly to herself in what she thought was a normal 'talking to yourself in public without seeming crazy' volume. "Could my life get anymore fan-fucking-tastic, seriously. I just can't wait until all this testosterone surrounding me becomes the death of me. I bet it'll be a wonderfully sunny day, too."

She stabbed the paper with her pen and felt an unstable surge of anger rush through her. "Fucking brilliant," she said a little to harshly. If she had bothered to pay attention to what was going on around her she would have noticed that people were yelling and screaming and jumping over each other to get out of the room. But she was too busy trying to figure out how her notebook had suddenly burst into flames.

* * *

After the notebook incident, and witnessing Reid being chewed out by Caleb for doing something he swore he hadn't done, Ridley really wasn't all that surprised when Magda showed up on her doorstep with a large cardboard box filled with ancient, molding books. They smelled horrendous. Magda walked right past her and into the living room. "You mate leave you?"

"Uh, yeah," she sighed, closing the door and following the old lady. "and he's not coming back."

"Good."

Ridley made a face. "Well, I'm glad somebody's happy about me getting dumped."

"He no kill you, that father's job," she replied, setting the box down. She started shoving furniture around the room. "Arina, you help."

Ridley blinked in surprise. It was Magda. It really had been her in those crazy time warps down memory lane. Ridley just sighed and helped her push the coffee table and then the couch out of the way. Magda pulled a blanket out of her purse and set it on the floor and then began to pull out several large candles. She looked up at Ridley. "Go get you spear."

Ridley made a face. "I don't have a spear. I'm not a hunter gatherer."

Magda rolled her eyes and held up her hands, miming a circle. "Spear!"

"Oh," Ridley exclaimed, finally understanding, "you mean sphere. Okay, gotcha."

When she came back down, Magda had already lit the candles and there was incense burning. She tried not to laugh when she noticed the bottle of Jack Daniel's and a shot glass. "Is this your way of making me feel better about getting dumped."

Magda just pointed at it. "You drink. Calm you down, you more open to yourself that way. Make you feel you power."

Ridley tossed the orb up and down in her hand. "How in the hell did you get this to me?"

"Not me. Spear came. Spear come when you call for. When you need, it come for you."

Ridley settled down and snorted as she poured herself a shot. "Figures."

She downed her shot and poured another. "So do you want me fall down drunk or happily buzzed?"

"Just calm."

"Okay," she shrugged, downing her second and pouring another, "well, then three or four should do it."

She threw back the third and looked at Magda. "What now?"

"We bring you back. Put all you pieces in place, make you see, make you feel, make you be."

"Okay...how do we do that?"

Magda pulled out a book and handed it to her. Ridley flipped it open and frowned. It was blank. The old woman gestured to it. "Open it."

Ridley stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending, and then, when the realization hit her, ran her finger over the ends of the pages roughly, slicing deep into her finger. She wiped the droplet of blood that formed onto the first page.

Just as the blank pages of the Lycanthropy had done, the pages changed, but the language that appeared was completely alien to her. "I can't read it."

Magda huffed and pointed to the bottle. "Drink more."

Ridley slammed back two more shots and blinked at the pages, she was beginning to understand now and what was written seemed strangely familiar. She flipped the page only to come across more familiar words. "You used these. To save me."

Magda nodded. "Used you words, you magic, keep you safe."

Ridley slammed the book shut and nearly glared death at the old woman. "But I wasn't safe. Do you know where you left me?"

Magda nodded solemnly. "A life of pain is better than no life at all."

"Not just pain, but misery." Ridley reopened the book. "And now Burko's a wolf and...do I have to beware of him?"

Magda smiled at that. "No, my little Arina, no. He good wolf."

"That's what you said about Adam."

Magda sighed and leaned forward, covering Ridley's hand with her own. "He good. Deep inside, he good."

She pulled away and said cryptically, "But not good enough."

Magda took the orb and placed it in the center of the circle. "You hear of crystal ball, yes?"

Ridley nodded and Magda continued, "It keep you power safe until you need most. Help you fight, be strong."

"How do I get it to work?"

"Think, what you need, think!"

Ridley crossed her legs and sat up, staring intently at the orb. It wasn't humming. _Work damn it,_ she thought angrily, _work right now!_ Still, it sat before her, motionless and silent. She looked at it dismally. _All I want is for this to end...all I want is to be happy._ She scratched the inside of her palm, where Reid had held her hand while they slept. It was tingling. She couldn't help, but feel sorry for herself. _If I hadn't been so stupid, if I hadn't gone for Adam...maybe I would be with Reid._

"Look."

Ridley broke out of her self-pitying reverie and looked to the orb that Magda was pointing at. It was glowing bright, but it wasn't humming this time. Just then, Burko lumbered through the front door. He threw his bag down at the foot of the stairs and made a face. "What are you doing? Trying to summon evil spirits while intoxicated?"

Ridley sighed and turned to tell him to shove it when she noticed Reid standing behind Burko. He looked very uncomfortable in that moment. He glanced over at her. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Man, that thing is going crazy," Burko laughed as he headed for the kitchen. Ridley turned to look at the orb. Not only was it glowing, but it was glowing a brilliantly bright royal purple. She cocked her head to the side. "Huh, guess getting a bit tipsy does make mystical juices flow."

Burko wandered back in, half his sandwich stuck in his mouth. "Just be careful, I don't want to wind up dead because you're too drunk to control yourself."

Ridley glared daggers at him. "Why don't you go outside and maul a rabbit or something if you're so scared?"

They stared at one another for a tense moment and Burko chewed his sandwich for a minute before Ridley asked, "So, are you gonna watch?"

He sighed out through his nose, "Yeah," and stretched out on the couch. He glanced over at Reid. "You just gonna stand there, Garwin, or are you gonna sit down and watch my sister try to blow up the house or whatever they think they're gonna do?"

"Burko!"

"Luka!"

"What?!"

Ridley gave him her most threatening glare. "Don't be mean to him."

Burko just snorted. "My house, too, you know."

"God, you're obnoxious," she growled deep in her throat. Burko gave her a toothy grin. "_Someone's_ pissy today."

"Yeah, well, I did make my notebook explode," she grumbled to herself. She turned when she heard rustling beside her and couldn't keep from smiling when she realized Reid was sitting down next to her. "I didn't think you'd be coming back any time soon."

He shrugged and didn't look at her. "Then you're not as smart as you think you are," he said in a less than friendly voice. Ridley was taken aback. She noticed Magda look at her sympathetically before scowling at Reid. Ridley tamped down on the hurt she felt and leaned forward to rest her chin on her hand. "Well, I got it going. Now what?"

"Find you awaken spell."

"Um, I can understand the stuff in this old thing," she said, holding up the book, "but I don't exactly comprehend it."

"Start. All night we have."

Ridley groaned. "Okay, Mom."

Magda smiled at her. "My, little Arina, you will win. I know you, you make good choice. You learn from mistake, learn from the hurt, learn to keep going. Make you stronger than you pack."

Ridley snorted. "Yeah, I don't have a pack. I have absolutely Nada." She laughed a little bit and picked up the bottle of Jack Daniel's and took a long drink from it. "Seriously, I think, maybe Burko's right-history does repeat itself. And you know what's gonna happen? The same thing that always happens." She felt herself begin to tear up and sniffled angrily to herself. She didn't want to do this in front of Reid. "Fuck, I didn't want any of this, I just want to be normal. Not getting dumped and thrown into a magical coma that tells me I've lived a past life."

"You didn't live a past life. Not really," Burko said, pulling the bottle out of her hands and sliding down to the floor to sit next to her. "Besides, you have friends who care about you, me."

Ridley sighed and picked up the orb, flipping through the pages of the book absently. "Think I found it."

"What exactly are we doing?"

"Trying to wake me up."

"You are awake."

Ridley gave her brother a look. "No, all of me. All of what was put to sleep when I-Arina-died."

"Okay, look, I was all for me being a werewolf, and you being all lovey-dovey with one," Burko blurted out, missing the completely shocked look on Reid's face and the stricken one on Ridley's, "I was even okay with this whole vision quest, past lives shit you twilight zoned me into. But now, I'm getting really tired of it." He leaned back and rolled his eyes. "I mean, _come on_, I'll just wolf out and go Cujo on Casey and his dad and then we can celebrate by you shooting fireworks out your hands like that one chick off X-MEN."

"I'm not a mutant, retard!"

"You're a what," Reid exclaimed. Burko rolled his eyes and pointed at his now livid sister. "It's no big deal, I'm more than sure she is, too!"

"I am not!"

"You are so!"

"No, I'm not! I didn't get bit!"

Burko rolled his eyes. _What is his deal,_ Ridley screamed mentally. Burko just sighed and shrugged. "Well, all fingers point to your sexlife..."

He burst out laughing as he watched her turn as red as a coca-cola can. "No pun intended!"

"You are a real bastard, you know that," she mumbled. Burko knocked her in the shoulder lightly. "You need to toughen up, Rid. Especially if we're going to beat this."

"I am going to beat this," she sighed, "or I'm going to die."

Ridley turned back to the book and silently read the incantation, completely missing the way the color of the orb deepened and the glow traveled up her arm. She finally looked up at Magda. "Are you sure I need to do this? Do you think it will even work?"

"I'd say it just did," Reid said softly, staring at her. She turned to look at him. He blinked his blue eyes at her and said, "Your eyes are different. Green with gold. They're pretty."

Ridley couldn't stop herself. She grabbed onto his hand. Reid looked down, bewildered, but grasped her hand back. And then everything started to go white. "No, no, not now," she whispered. And then she was passed out cold. Reid jumped forward to catch her, shaking her gently. When it didn't work, he grabbed on to the orb as well. But nothing happened. So he did what he had done before and kissed her. And then there was pure white before his eyes and he thought he heard Burko start yelling.

This time, was different. It was completely dark and there was nothing for them but blackness. And then they were back at the house. But the house was different somehow. It felt abandoned in that moment. Reid turned and looked to Ridley who was busy tracing her fingers over the picture frames on a table in the hallway.

"We didn't have very many pictures of us." She wrapped her arms around herself. Reid just stared at her a moment. She lifted up one of the closer picture frames and smiled sadly. "We looked happy. Makes me wish it was real."

Reid rolled his eyes and snatched the frame away from her. "It was real. It just also happened to be a lie."

"How is that possible?"

"You didn't know," Reid explained, "so what you felt was real."

He stared at the picture of Adam and Ridley holding hands and scowled. "Asshole," he muttered. He set it back down.

"He wasn't ever mean to me or anything. He just...didn't love me."

She slowly moved down the table, sighing heavily. And then she reached the photograph of her and Reid. It was still completely crinkled in some areas. She picked it up and smiled looking at it. Reid studied her for a moment. "We were really happy, weren't we," she seemed to ask the heavy atmosphere around her. Reid wasn't sure if he should say anything or not and Ridley made the decision for him when she turned and said in a voice that sounded both sad and amused, "You know, I still...hurt whenever I see a black jeep." She laughed down at the picture and set it down. "Coming up on almost a year and I still can't-....like right now. It's as if you take up all the room in here."

"But we're technically not anywhere," reid argued, moving closer to her. She didn't seem to notice. He felt her shiver slightly when he let his finger run the length of her arm to grasp her fingers in his gloved hand. "Then none of this is really happening and you're not touching me."

Reid lifted his other hand and gently brushed her hair away from her neck. She turned her head to the side and her eyes fluttered shut. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to," he replied and was surprised when she slowly disengaged herself from him. She looked so disappointed in him and he felt shame begin to constrict his chest. She looked away again. "Can't you ever just say it?"

He averted his gaze and she sniffed. "No, because that would make it real, wouldn't it? It would make you have to face the fact that you fell in love and you aren't in control anymore and that scares you. You are a coward, Reid Garwin."

His head snapped up. "Hey, wait a minute. You could have just kept your mouth shut until I was ready."

"Oh, and when would you have been ready?"

"Do you not remember any of the numerous times I apologized and tried to get you to come back?!"

"But you never said it," she screamed. She was crying now and she shook her head angrily. "Not once did you tell me how I made you feel."

She wiped at her eyes. "I mean, I don't even know if you spent that time with me because you wanted to or you just wanted the sex it entailed."

"Damn it," she mumbled, biting her lip as she tried to keep from crying, "And I just...I loved you for it."

Reid wasn't sure he understood and Ridley smiled sadly. "Love doesn't make sense."

"Ridley," Reid began and she shook her head. "I don't need to hear how sorry you are or how bad you feel. I know you feel bad now. But I don't-"

She shuffled her feet. "But I don't-I can't be with someone who doesn't feel the way I do."

That made sense. He cocked his head to the side and stared at her curiously. "Are you still...with me?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped. Reid moved closer to her and Ridley's brow furrowed when she felt him slide his hand from her shoulders to her neck and then cup her cheeks. "What are you doing?!"

"Remember that night at the pool," he asked, trying to calm his nerves. Ridley looked up at him with a confused look on her face and nodded. His hands were shaking so bad as they cupped her cheeks. "Reid?"

Reid closed his eyes a moment, inhaling deeply. He felt her cool hand come up to touch his face in a featherlight carress and when he opened his eyes he knew they were black as night. Ridley just smiled a small smile. "I think maybe we should continue this conversation when we're awake." Reid nodded, not really sure he had even heard her as he brushed his fingers over her lips. She closed her eyes at the feel, leaning forward, and when she opened her eyes, it was an explosion of gold and emerald flames.

* * *

A/N: So I'm finally getting around to finishing this. I've decided that of all the fics I have going now, all of whic are not covenant fics beside this one, that this will be the first that I finish. Please R&R and tell me what you think. Any and all feedback is much appreciated.


	28. Waiting Game

I own nothing but the OCs I've created....R&R please.

* * *

When Reid woke up, he and Ridley were laying in much the same way they had been the first time, except her eyes were still closed. Reid reached toward her and, as he had done while they had been whever it was they had been, he brushed his fingers over her lips. She let out a small moan, leaning into the touch as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were burning; molten gold and lush green swirling into oblivion. They made him breathless.

He sat up, pulling her up with him. They both winced. The wooden floor had left them stiff and sore. Reid rubbed his hands over her arms. "You okay?"

She looked around the room. she wandered over to the piano situated by the fireplace. Adam had insisted on buying it for her. She sat down on the bench and ran her fingers over the wood and then lifted back the cover. Someone had set a fire in the fireplace and the candles were still lit from before. Reid looked at his cell and was surprised to see that they had been out for no more than two he looked back up, Ridley was pulling on her fingerless gloves and then placing her slender fingers over the piano's ivory keys. The first note caused him to jump. He walked over slowly.

He couldn't see her face, her long dark hair providing a barrier, but he could feel her, feel what she felt. And it took him a moment to recognize the music she was 's Moonlight Sonata. It was starting to scare him. "Ridley?"

But she didn't answer. She just kept playing. The light from the fire flickered as did the flames of the candles lit around the room.

"You shouldn't be here when they come," she said in a low voice. It was as if to answer the question on his lips that at that exact moment, he heard the baying of wolves. Reid froze. "What's happening?"

"Magda opened the door," she replied, intent on her playing, "now they know and they will come for me. There's nothing you can do."

"What do you mean there's nothing I can do," Reid cried in frustration, confused and angry. She kept on with her playing still. "What Burko said was true, I'm a wolf."

She looked up at him and her eyes glinted an eerie luminescent gold. "Reid, if you don't leave, they might kill you."

"Why," he demanded childishly. She closed her eyes and then opened them slowly. "Because of what you are."

The front door flew open and she stopped playing. She rose to her feet quickly and was at his side just as a huge wolf barreled down the steps to land on the wooden floor with a hard thud. It stood stock still, staring out the front door with its teeth bared and its ears back. Something-someone-howled outside and it split through the air. Ridley grabbed onto Reid's hand and clutched it as if it were the last time she would ever feel his fingers laced with hers.

"Why did you do this, you called them," Reid said, looking at her with angry eyes. She brought the hand not holding his up to his face and let it travel down over his neck and farther still over his chest. "Because I don't want either of us to die."

"I'm staying right here," he said voice steady and void of fear, "and we won't."

Ridley looked back at him and nodded and then they turned toward the door, waiting. The wolf at the foot of the steps backed toward them. The long black fur on his back was standing on end like a row of long spikes.

"Burko, don't. We need their help. Two," she glanced at Reid, "three against a pack is suicide. We need that pack; we need Adam's pack."

It was then they heard the scrape of claws along the floorboards of the house. How Reid wasn't terrified, he didn't know, but having Ridley their next to him, staring into those big piercing eyes. Ridley seemed to recognize him even without ever having seen him in his wolf form. She squeezed Reid's hand, needing his support as she spoke and he squeezed back. "Nicky, if we're going to do this, we're going outside, so you better have brought clothes."

The wolf's eyes glinted with approval and Reid couldn't have been more shocked than he already was when Nicky grinned in a terrible, sharp-toothed way. Nicky backed out of the house.

"Burko, same goes for you. Go get dressed."

Burko slunk back up the stairs casting a growl over his shoulder toward the front door. Ridley turned to Reid. "You can leave...if you want to."

He looked into her eyes and saw the barely contained hope and simultaneously, the fear that she felt. He pulled her to him until she was flush against him and said just as surely as the last time he'd spoken to her, "I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded against him and they made their way outside, side by side. Reid didn't expect to see so many familiar faces and he could tell by the way Ridley stiffened beside him that hadn't either. Among them was Tony, Spenser's night security guard, Nicky, several boys-most of which were new transfers-and a came face to face with someone he never thought he'd see. Aaron Abbot seemed just as surprised.

"Shit," Aaron muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Reid's cell phone rang at that moment and everyone jumped collectively. He answered without checking to see who it was. "What?"

"Hey, where the hell are you?"

"I'm busy."

"Reid..."

"Caleb, I'm busy."

"Where are you?"

"None of your business."

"Are you still at Ridley's?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Reid..."

"Caleb, she's a big girl. If she didn't want me here, she would have kicked my ass out already. Back off," Reid snapped. He heard Caleb sigh on the end of the phone. "Reid, she and Adam just broke up."

"Seriously, Caleb, back off," Reid snapped again. He noticed the group in front of him step back, but continued to snarl into the phone, "I think I know Ridley better than you."

He hung up and looked around at the collective group of familiar faces. It didn't take him long to figure out that his eyes had gone pitch black, but he couldn't have helped it as the situation was highly stressful and dealing with Caleb had only made it worse.

"He's not one of us, Ridley," Nicky said, never looking away from Reid. Ridley's face remained impassive. "Then neither am I."

"What makes you think we won't rip him to shreds right now."

"Because of what I'd do to you," she snapped. Her voice broke slightly as she continued. "Adam was your pack leader and I was his mate. In his absence, I become pack leader."

"Doesn't mean shit, Ridley, and you know it," Aaron snapped, glaring. "With him gone, you're up for grabs and you know it. That's why you're hiding behind Garwin."

"I'm not hiding behind anyone and I'm not up for grabs-"

Aaron stepped forward. "Bullshit, pack rules! If the Alpha male leaves, another one has to take his place. And he gets all females, including the Alpha whether she likes it or not."

Nicky turned to look at Aaron. "You're sounding a lot like Ivan, Aaron. You better watch yourself."

"He's right, Aaron." Brody Becklin stepped out of the shadows and up next to his friend. "This isn't about who gets to lead, this is about bringing an end to all of this."

"Fuck, you're on their side," Aaron cried with a scowl, "what the hell?"

Brody looked annoyed. "I'm on the right side. The side that's tired of trying to hide their pack to keep from being killed for going against hundreds of years of brutal tradition."

Aaron didn't look convinced and so Ridley stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aaron, if we don't work together, what do you think will happen once I'm gone?"

Aaron's jaw clenched, but she continued. "Think of what he'll do. Think of what will happen to Ipswich, to all your human friends, and to Kira."

At the mention of Kira, Reid saw something flash in his eyes, something possessive. "What about Kira?"

"If we don't band together, they win. And you keep what you kill, Aaron."

There was a moment of silence, then Aaron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, what do we do?"

"Well, it'd be good if we knew of any weaknesses. You know, anything they wouldn't be expecting," Reid said. The entire collective group blinked at him in astonishment. He frowned in confusion. "What?"

Aaron actually began to laugh. He surprised Reid when he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

Aaron laughed harder. "It's you."

"What?"

"You're the weakness," Aaron replied as if it were obvious. When it was clear that Reid still didn't understand, he continued. "Why do you think they want her dead? Werewolves and witches aren't supposed to mix, Reid. She's a threat to them because she can kill them, same with you. Magic is the most effective way to kill a werewolf."

It was a couple of minutes before Reid spoke. He paced back and forth in one spot, well aware that all eyes were him. He raised an eyebrow as if to question why they were so keen on him leading them. Aaron let out a long-suffering sigh as if he were about to admit something he didn't want to. "The Alpha female can exercise the right to choose her own mate," he explained pointedly, glancing over at Ridley for emphasis, "whomever she chooses, regardless of whether he is beta or alpha or human, he becomes leader."

Reid looked over at Ridley who was purposely looking anywhere but at him. "Is this true?"

She merely nodded and continued to refuse to meet his gaze. He turned toward her and cocked his head to the side. "So I'm the leader? You picked me?"

Ridley bit her lip and looked away from the assembled wolves and finally to Reid. In a nervous whisper, she said, "Of course I pick you."

For a moment, he just stood there, and Ridley started to wilt. He nodded, his expression dark and conflicting. Then he turned back to Aaron. He stepped up to the boy, suddenly serious once more. "Look, Abbot, you don't like me and I don't like you," he said, and Aaron nodded. Reid held out his hand. "But I think maybe it's time we stopped and started being civil."

Aaron studied for a moment and then he smirked his approval and shook Reid's hand. "I've always thought you were alright, Garwin. I think I can handle a truce."

Reid gave him a pat on the back. "After all this, think of all the money we can swindle out of the underclassmen at pool."

A chuckle went up around them and the two boys smirked. Ridley rolled her eyes. "As touching as this little display of male bonding is, we need to figure something out."

"Right." Aaron nodded. "So what do we do?"

Reid paced back and forth thoughtfully, tapping on his chin with one gloved hand. "Is this the entire pack?"

Nicky shook his head. "We couldn't risk everyone meeting in one place. There's about thirty more."

Reid's eyes widened in surprise. He was looking at over twenty men already. He nodded. "How many does the opposing side have?"

"In all," Nicky said slowly, clearly going over the amount in his head. "Close to sixty. But Ivan's fond of using divide and conquer tactics."

"It's why we couldn't risk all our members being here at once," Aaron said, kicking at the ground, "the other members may be easily persuaded to change sides."

Reid could tell by the look on his face that someone related to Aaron-most likely his father- was one of them. He surveyed the group. "So, even with fifty, we're still not in the clear."

"What about Caleb and the others," Burko threw out, finally speaking for the first time, and echoing the thoughts of Ridley and Reid himself. Reid finally shook his head, unsure. "Caleb won't exactly be understanding. I'm afraid he'll attack first and ask questions later."

Ridley looked surprised at this answer. "That doesn't sound like Caleb."

"Yeah, but he's not used to...supernatural occurrences outside of the covenant. And something like this will probably freak him out." He sighed, knowing what needed to be done. "But, we need all the power we can get and I don't want to end up looking eighty when this is done."

"You won't look eighty," Ridley argued. Reid gave her a look and she shot the same look right back at him. "You don't think I-Arina-figured out a way to fix that little problem? Or that her parents didn't?"

He looked at her inquiringly and her eyes darted around the others nervously before saying in an embarrassed voice, "We'll talk about it later."

Reid nodded and looked back at the collective group, most of whom had knowing looks on their faces. He frowned, but didn't comment, preferring to say instead, "Once I talk to Caleb and the others, we wait. We can't attack the enemy if we don't know where he's at. He has to make the first move. And he needs to be surprised. Which means we continue on as if nothing is going on. None of you know about me and I don't know about any of you. We act normal. I want him to think it's just me, Ridley, and Burko that he's up against and no one else."

"We need a line of communication." Reid wasn't sure who it was that spoke up, but he recognized the voice. He nodded in agreement and turned to Nicky. "That's where you come in. Anyone needs to report anything, they talk to you and you relay it to me, Burko, or Ridley. And if you can't get a hold of any of us," he turned to Aaron, "That's where you come in."

Aaron wasn't the only one who was shocked by the decision. "Me?"

Reid nodded. "Outside of Burko, me, and Ridley, you're the only other one that frequents Nicky's just as much. Anyone has info, they pass it you and then you pass it to me."

Aaron nodded. "Got it." He pulled out his cell phone and he and Reid exchanged numbers. Reid smirked in amusement when he noticed Aaron list him as "Alpha" in his contacts. The smirk disappeared as he said the next bit. "And when I'm not here, I want you to be here."

"What," several people cried at once. Reid silenced them all with one look and couldn't help smiling at how they instantly ceased protesting. "I want them to think we're all divided. I want them to think The chances of us working together are less than slim to none. If it seems like Aaron's sneaking around with her behind my back, he won't suspect that we're actually working together."

Aaron threw back his head in raucous laughter, shoving Reid in the shoulder. "Garwin, I never expected you to be such a tactical mastermind."

They traded equally manic grins. Ridley shook her head. This was going to to be one disastrous bro-mance for the ages. Tyler was definitely in danger of losing his best friend to their former worst enemy. Reid shoved him back and draped his arm over the other boy's shoulders. "Aaron, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

"Or an apocalyptic disaster," Ridley muttered, looking heavenward and shaking her head in exasperation. Several men snickered and both Reid and Aaron shot her annoyed looks. She and Burko traded looks, with the latter stating in a sour voice, "We are so totally screwed."

* * *

The pack had left a few hours beforehand and Reid had passed out on the couch, the events of the day having finally caught up with him. But Ridley sat in front of the fire, a bottle of beer at her side as she threw photographs and other assorted mementos of her time with Adam into the fire and watched them burn one by one. She couldn't help the few tears that slipped down her cheeks. She really had given Adam her heart, enough so that it hurt when she found out about his betrayal. She had loved him as best she could when they were together, but now, reflecting on her life over that past year and a few months' change, she could see that regardless of how strongly she had felt for him, those feelings, that fierce loyalty and devotion, would only ever belong to the blond boy sleeping on the couch behind her.

Maybe it's the wolf in me, she thought wryly as Panzer padded up to her and collapsed beside her in a huff. She looked down and Patted the Rottweiler on his large head affectionately. She jerked her head in Reid's direction. "So, you okay with him? Or are you put out about Adam leaving us?"

Panzer let out a long sigh, as if considering and Ridley was sure that on some level, he actually understood. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't give him a hard time."

He leaned against her leg and looked up at her with the most innocent puppydog eyes she had ever seen as if to say, "What makes you think I would?"

"He likes you, you know." She scratched him behind the ear. Panzer let out a grudging whine. Ridley felt herself start to smile and lifted his head to scratch the underside of his chin. "So is that a yes?"

He let out a snort and snapped his mouth shut, eliciting a curt sounding "click". Ridley grinned, "Good boy, you definitely get steak for dinner tomorrow."

She tossed another picture into the fire and patted the dog happily. "Think we'll be alright."

The next day, Ridley let Reid handle the boys along with Burko. After they had all left at the end of the school day, Ridley slipped into Aaron's Mercedes and they headed back to her house. Ridley was surprised when they reached the house and Aaron left her well enough alone, choosing to settle on the couch to do homework. Every now and then he would look over at her, as if to make sure she was okay, and Ridley couldn't help but chuckle silently to herself. He took guard duty seriously it seemed.

Ridley spent her time doing what she did best, writing and composing music. It didn't take her long to work out several different melodies. Sitting with her acoustic guitar, cross legged on the piano bench, she closed her eyes and strummed to herself. When she opened her eyes, Aaron was staring at her. She raisedone delicate eyebrow in question.

"I get what Garwin sees in you," he said without looking away, "He was a wreck. Just like you were when the two of you broke up. Definitely not as bad, but enough that he knew how you were feeling because he was just as broken up as you were when the two of you quit messing around. Both the first and second time."

"And here I always thought you hated Reid, but here you are explaining him to me like you're his best friend."

Aaron shrugged. "Me and Reid are a lot alike. We don't do feelings well because...well, we come from similar backgrounds and we've had similar life experiences. And we both dealt with them in similar ways."

He frowned in thought. "Maybe that's why we never liked each other; we're too fucking alike to get along."

"Or you're too fucking stubborn," she shot back, trying not to smile too much. Aaron shrugged and grinned. It faltered slightly as he reverted back to the previous topic. "But like I said. People like me and Reid. We hear it in you. We see it when we look at you." He sat back with a thoughtful expression on his face. "He would have made a good full-blood."

They continued to look at one another for a couple of minutes and then they were back to their respective tasks. Aaron Abbot wasn't as bad as she thought. By the time Reid called to tell Aaron he was on his way back to the house with the other boys, Ridley had finished writing three songs and had completely composed one. Aaron, had left with fifteen minutes of the others bustled in through the front door, three of the four staring at her intently. She quirked an eyebrow at them. "Were you expecting to find the big bad wolf?"

They turned beet-red, confirming her thoughts. Reid smacked the closest one, which happened to be Caleb, on the back of the head and then punched him in the chest for good measure. Ridley rolled her eyes and went back to playing. Reid slumped back onto the couch and crossed his arms as he looked at her. "I told them, but they're not exactly trusting. So, if you were planning on helping them, too, I don't really think they're up for it."

Ridley just looked up at him and continued strumming. Reid propped his arm up on the back of the couch and leaned his head in his hand as he watched her. Burko wandered over to her and shuffled through her papers. He looked at the one she was working on and nodded and then disappeared before coming back his own acoustic. He took a chair from the kitchen and settled down in it next to his without a word he began playing along with her.

Slowly, a grin spread across Reid's face and she answered with one of her own. Pogue was the first of the other three Sons to be propelled into motion. He picked up the sheet music Ridley had managed to churn out that afternoon and went over it. "You finished the lyrics to it?"

Ridley finally broke her gaze away from Reid's and shook her head. "I'm trying, but I'll probably need help."

Reid watched her intently. "How exactly were you proposing to help us?"

She stopped strumming for a moment. "I was planning on making it so that your powers, like mine, wouldn't age you."

"How?" That was Tyler. She set her guitar down next to her on the bench. "If all of you hadn't already ascended, I could have done this by simply performing the same spell that was used on me. But you've already gained all your powers. So, the only way, would be for me to mix blood with each of you."

"How do we do that," Burko asked, "their blood will kill Lycan blood instantly-"

"No, no with my blood," Ridley explained, "I'm already a mixed. Besides, I haven't been truly turned. Adam never bit me. So it's only a trace. They won't be turned into betas or anything. They'll just benefit from the side affects. If they want to go beta, I'll do it for them."

"But you're not fully turned-" Burko cut off when he saw the look in her eyes. "I'm not going to bite you."

"You don't have a choice."

Burko scowled and looked away, pouting like a belligerent three-year-old denied cookies. Ridley rolled her eyes and went back to strumming. "I'll give you guys a few days to figure out if you want to go through with it or not. But I can't wait too long. If I don't get turned, soon, I'll lose what little wolf I have in me that Adam triggered."

"How is that possible," Tyler asked, sifting through several notebook papers with lyrics scribbled on them, once you're turned don't you stay turned?"

"Not if you're latent like me," she said, then muttered under her breath, "and don't use as much protection as possible."

Everyone in the room froze except for Ridley. Reid was glaring at the floor. Ridley went back to strumming. "You boys have any other questions? Cause if not, I'm busy."

"You're busy," Caleb asked incredulously. Ridley just stared at him impassively. "Like last year, I'm in charge of writing some of the material for this year's talent show and I'm not really writing that much good shit right now."

"You're more concerned about a high school talent show than your own life," Reid snapped, still stung by the knowledge of Ridley sleeping with Adam. He'd known she had, obviously, but he didn't like being reminded of it.

Ridley frowned a little at him, hurt shining in her eyes. "All I can do is sit here and wait, Reid, sit here and wait to see if you and Caleb and Pogue and Tyler are willing to sacrifice way more than you should have to in order to save me. And the longer I wait, the closer to I am to dying. It's all that I have right now."

She said the last in a pained whisper and for several minutes, no one could look at her but Burko. He leaned over and cupped the nape of her neck with one hand, pulling her to lean her forehead against his. "I haven't left your side ever. And I'm not gonna start now. If you die, this time, I die with you. But not before I rip out Adam's heart and give it to you on a silver platter."

* * *

It was colder than Ridley could ever remember it being. That was one of things she would remember forever about that day. If it hadn't been able for the cold, she wouldn't have been able to hold herself together long enough to understand that everything really was up to her. It was a Sunday and it was just after dawn. Everything around her looked dead, lifeless. By the time she was able to process the conversation she had had with Reid, she was felt as if she were melting into the ground, becoming dead just like the frozen earth beneath her feet.

Reid had been quiet for over a week and Ridley had understood his need for time. It was just too much to handle. But she hadn't expected to hear what she had.

"Ridley," he'd said in a hoarse, yet unyeildingly hard voice, "I can't be a part of this with you. I can't deal with what I am and what you are both. I can't-I can barely deal with all I know now and I know I won't be able to be there...I can't watch you die. I can't. Knowing it's possibly going to happen is eating at me and-doing this, my entire line will no longer be a part of one covenant. They'll be burdened with two."

Ridley couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak as she stared at him in disbelief. He was abandoning her again. He looked up from the snow covered ground to her watery eyes and back down to the ground. "I'm not ready for this."

"And you think I'm ready for this," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "You think I'm ready to believe that come spring, I'll be dead? You think I'm ready to fight for my life when I'm not even out of high school?"

"I'll go along with everything," Reid said as if she hadn't said anything at all. "Everything I planned out with Aaron and Nicky and all of them, I'll carry on with it..."

She shook her head. "No, Reid." Her voice was unsteady, but sure and Reid looked up at the sound of despair in her voice. "I want you to just walk away and I don't want you to ever look back."

"Ridley," he pleaded, reaching toward her. Ridley shook her head wildly, stepping back several steps. "Just walk away, Reid."

Reid reluctantly stepped back, his expression completely lost and broken. "I'm sorry." He turned around and started walking toward the treeline surrounding her house. As he trudged along the snowy forest floor, he heard it; the first strains of a low, pained wail. He stopped immediately and turned around. He could still see her through the thick clustering of trees. She was on her knees in the snow, hugging herself and crying. Reid heard the snapping of twigs and the rustling of leaves and the air whipped around him and for a split second the sound of panting filled his ears. A tree fel nearby. And then another. And another. Ridley screamed and her cry was echoed by a dozen wolf cries.

Reid stepped in her direction and halted; he had done the right thing. She could do this. He had stood by her in the past and she had died for it; time wouldn't change that. A shadow passed over the sky and Reid looked up to find a mass of swirling, black clouds begin to settle across the sky. They rumbled angrily. He looked back toward her and a split second later, a bolt of lightning struck the tree to his left, splitting it in half and it started toppling toward him. Reid reacted instantly. His eyes turned black and he was gone just as the darkness opened up and the icy rain began to cover Ipswich. It didn't let up for a week and a half.

* * *

A/N: I realize this is probably getting really confusing the farther I go into it, but bear with me. If you are confused and you want to know things now, leave a review and ask away and I will answer as much as I can without spoiling the on coming chapters.


	29. Once Bitten

**I own nothing but the OCs I have created. I hope you enjoy and please read and review.**

* * *

"Ridley, you have to come out of there," Aaron pleaded from the other side of the oak door, "You've been in there for almost an entire day. How many times have you run the water, now?"

Ridley ignored him and sank further into the tub, submerging herself completely. After a couple of minutes, still submerged, she opened her eyes to find Aaron staring down at her sympathetically. Slowly, she sat back up, pulling her legs up against her chest.

"Ridley," he said in a quiet voice as he bent down and leaned against the side of the tub, "you can't do this to yourself."

"Did you find Burko," she asked despondently. "I want to talk to Burko."

"He won't be able to keep them from coming," Aaron said, ignoring her question. He grabbed her chin gently and turned her to face him. "Reid kept his word; he's been doing what he said he'd do, but he declined leader status. Ivan's pack knows you're without a mate and they'll use it to their advantage."

"I won't choose," she argued, "no matter how many rogue wolves and packs come, I won't choose."

Aaron shook his head sadly. "It won't matter; you keep what you kill, remember? You have to set a date and you have to set it soon. You need to let Burko turn you and you need to announce a date for the challenge."

"I can't think about it right now," she sniffed, "I just. I need to not think about it for a little while longer."

"It's been almost two weeks."

"And I still feel dead," she replied woodenly. Aaron frowned and handed her a towel, turning away so she could have some semblance of privacy as she stood and dried herself off. Ridley wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the bathtub and walked past him. "I'm going to the basement. Don't bother me unless it's important."

Aaron growled at her, but didn't follow. There really wasn't a point. She was being irrational and stubborn. It was all Reid's fault. He couldn't just man up. Aaron didn't understand what his deal was. He still ran information for Aaron and Nicky and Burko. He still asked about Ridley. He has asked every day since telling her he couldn't be with her, that he wasn't ready. Burko wouldn't talk to Reid directly anymore. He stalked the halls of Spenser like a wounded, angry pup and Aaron didn't blame him. Their pack was falling apart, all their lives were in danger, and it was all because it was just too much of a burden for two people to bear.

Aaron had fallen asleep on the couch, the angry thumping and banging of Ridley's drums in the basement beating an unsteady, monotonous rhythm to his slumber. The minute the first step of the front porch creaked, Aaron awoke and the drumming stopped. He was on his feet and at the door before the intruder had a chance to knock. Pogue Parry stood, hand raised to knock. He and Aaron traded shocked looks.

"Aaron," Pogue asked disbelievingly. Aaron scowled at him. "You can tell Garwin she's not doing any better."

He started to shut the door in the other boy's face when Pogue raised a hand and stopped him. "I'm not here for Reid, I'm here for me."

Aaron paused and looked him over. After several tense moments, he opened the door further and stepped aside. "She's in the basement."

Not needing to be told twice, Pogue wandered to the door to the basement, which was situated under the staircase and opened it. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Ridley was seated behind her drum set. Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot from crying, but she looked calmer than he had seen her in a long time.

"Hey," she intoned evenly, her gaze never wavering. Pogue looked at her, jaw clenched. "I'll do it."

Ridley's eyes widened the slightest bit, indicating that that had been the last thing she had expected to hear from him.

"You will," she choked out. "You know that this decision is final? I can't take it back once it's done."

"You're my friend, Ridley," he said truthfully and she could tell by the tone of his voice he was certain of his decision. "You've kept our secret for over a year-though I'm sure you told Adam; that's to be expected-but I'm not going to leave you to fend for yourself. I'm not going to leave one of my best friends to die because I'm not willing to sacrifice on their behalf when I know they would sacrifice their life for mine."

She nodded her head slowly and then asked, "Do the others know?"

"No, and I'm not going to tell them. This choice is mine."

"I don't know what's going to happen," she warned as she stood, setting her drumsticks on her stool. She opened a drawer in a dresser near the steps and pulled out a long blade. She turned to look at him. "You need to be using your power when I do this."

Pogue's eyes turned black and Ridley came up to stand before him. He watched as her eyes burst into gold with flecks of green that burst through out. She dragged the blade across the palm of his hand first and he hissed in pain. Not a second later she sliced open her own palm and then gripped his hand with hers. "Focus on it. Focus on your power and let mine flow into it. Let me take over."

Pogue shut his eyes and felt his muscles begin to clench. The pain was unbearable and he fell to his knees, taking Ridley with him. Ridley grasped his shoulder with her freehand, offering her support. There was ice and fire traveling through his veins, threatening to rend his flesh from his bones. Ridley held onto him for hours. Her wound had healed several minutes after being cut, but now Pogue needed her help to survive. The two halves had to be made to work together. The power and the Lycanthropic virus had to merge and Ridley used her own power and her own blood to bridge the gap slowly but surely.

By the time the entire ordeal was over, Ridley was exhausted. She coughed hard into her hand and when she pulled it back, there was blood in her palm. She wiped the back of her hand against her mouth. There was blood on it when it came away. She coughed again. "Aaron," she called up the stairs. Aaron was at the top of the stairs. Ridley started in on another coughing fit and then Aaron snapped into action, taking the stairs three at a time as he descended. "Ridley, shit!"

"I'm fine," she rasped between gasps. "Check Pogue. Is Pogue okay?"

She coughed again and watched as Aaron felt for a pulse. He nodded his head at her. "It's steady. He's just unconscious."

Ridley's body was wracked by harder coughing and she fell over. She felt something warm and sticking run from her mouth, which tasted of copper. "I held on too long I think. There's too much of him inside me still."

Aaron wiped the blood from her face and shook her when her eyes became unfocused. "Stay with me, Ridley. You gotta stay with me."

"I can't, breathe," she wheezed, "I can't...I let him have too much of me and now I can't-" She broke off and coughed again, a large quantity of blood spilling from her mouth. "I can't heal myself. Aaron, you have to bite me."

Cursing loudly, Aaron flipped her onto her stomach, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her up to him, brushing her hair from the back of her neck. And then he bit down hard. As his teeth grew out, they ripped through her skin and Ridley nearly choked. She felt Aaron lave his long tongue around, licking up the blood his teeth drew; the saliva would help to spread it. As abruptly as he bit her, Aaron's jaw slackened and Ridley fell forward. Aaron wrapped his other arm around her to keep her from falling to the floor and that's when she felt the first of it. It was if every single inch of her body, inside and out began to slide in and out of itself. Her muscles began to twitch and her heart sped up. Reflexively, Ridley stretched as best she could in his grasp and her joints gave an audible pop.

Slowly, Aaron relinquished his hold on her, watching her in fascination. "I knew latents took the change easy, but I've never seen it."

Ridley coughed once more, pleased when she didn't taste anymore blood. Apparently her regeneration capabilities were phenomenal. She brought a hand up to the back of her neck. It didn't hurt.

"What do we do with him?"

"We'll let him sleep on the couch," Ridley yawned. She stretched again and took in her surroundings. Everything was sharp, more focused. It also smelled more. It was very reminiscent of the day after she and Adam had first slept together. The memory of him made her frown. He'd left her and abandoned his own pack. She hoped Burko really would bring her his heart on a silver platter. She licked her lips in thought.

"I'm really hungry," Ridley observed as she helped Aaron carry Pogue up the stairs. He was a lot lighter than she had thought he would be. They laid him down gently on the couch and Ridley followed Aaron into the kitchen. She hopped up on the counter and watched as Aaron sifted through the contents of the freezer. It was nice having someone cook for her.

"How does steak sound?"

"You're my hero."

Aaron snorted and rolled his eyes as he pulled out the package of T-bones and began to prepare their dinner. "Go watch Pogue," Aaron ordered. "I'll take care of things in here."

Ridley did as she was told. She really wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone-least of all the most reliable of the entire pack. Ridley took a seat near the fireplace, which was now kept lit constantly and curled up with her back to it, watching Pogue with keen eyes. He seemed to be doing fine. His breathing was even and his heart was beating normally. She was glad he was okay. With yet another friend at her side, Ridley felt her confidence begin to build back up ever so slightly. Maybe I'll stand a chance, she thought to herself, smiling faintly. Then she remembered Reid and that tiny ray of hope was replaced by a thick shadow of darkness.

Panzer wandered down the stairs and over to her, flopping down with equally sad eyes. Ridley scooted across the wood floor toward him and Panzer met her halfway, burying his head in her abdomen. He let out a huff and Ridley sniffled. When Aaron walked into the living room to tell her dinner was ready, she was sobbing.

* * *

Within a week, there was an influx of new students. Almost all of them were male and they literally sniffed the air when Ridley walked by. Reid had thought he'd been imagining it the first time he'd seen one of new boy's head whip around fast enough to emit a loud crack. But it happened every day in every hallway. And it was scary seeing the looks on some of their faces. They looked as if they were about to grab her and rip her clothes off right there.

Luckily enough for Ridley, she had Burko to back her up. Reid caught Pogue shoot a warning glare at several boys and they backed off. But what was really strange about the whole change was Ridley herself. She literally stalked the halls like a queen parading before her subjects and the crowds parted for her like the Red Sea parted for Moses. There was a new swagger to her step.

It was a full two weeks before Reid had his first conversation with Ridley, though it really couldn't be considered one. It was at Nicky's. Reid and Tyler had been so busy playing a game of pool between the two of them that they didn't notice just how crowded Nicky's had gotten until three people consecutively bumped into Reid as he tried to line up a clear shot. Up until that moment, Reid had been feeling unusually upbeat considering the turn of events over the past two months and that feeling had not moments ago flowed into quiet euphoria until that third nudge.

Reid slammed a fit down on the table. "Fucking shit!"

Tyler was looking off behind his friend, curious yet annoyed. "Why are there so many people in here..."

"Who the fuck knows," Reid growled, he adjusted his gloves and looked at his younger friend. "You wanna get out of here?"

Tyler nodded and they started out of Nicky's, shoving their way through the thick mass of patrons and out the back door.

"I've never seen it that packed," Tyler observed as Reid stopped to pull out a cigarette and light it. He'd started smoking more to stop using his power and he found the whole thing rather ironic. Instead of dying young from overusing his powers, he was going to die young from lung cancer. Reid flipped his lighter closed and opened his mouth to reply when he and Tyler heard raised voices from the side of the tiny bar.

"I don't want to do this."

"You can't put it off any longer."

The two boys recognized the voices immediately. It was Burko and Ridley. A third voice spoke up and it surprised Reid and Tyler to know end.

"They're here for you," said Pogue, "we can't hold them off forever. You're going to have to pick someone soon."

"I don't want to pick someone," she grumbled insolently. Reid nodded his head toward the roof of Nicky's. Catching his hidden meaning, Tyler nodded and they let their eyes bleed black. Once on the roof, they crept to the edge and peered over. Ridley was leaning against the side of the building, flicking open a Zippo lighter. Pogue and Burko were standing before her with somber looks.

Pogue nodded toward the unlit cigarette between Ridley's lips. "I thought those made you sick."

"They do," Ridley sighed as she lit it, "but I've been pretty stressed lately. What with my impending death and all."

"You're not gonna die," Burko snorted with a roll of his eyes. Ridley flicked the ash off the end of her cigarette and stared at her brother. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am."

"Look, we're here for a reason," Pogue finally bit out, "we're here so you can pick your Alpha and quit putting it off. The longer you wait-"

"Yeah, I know what happens if I wait too long," she snapped sourly. "If I wait too long, I don't get to pick at all."

"Then why are you waiting," Burko asked in exasperation. She rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall, walking a little ways from them. "Because I don't want any of them," she cried finally, pointing towards the packed bar. "I don't want any of this."

"Well, you don't get a choice, Ridley, and if you keep ignoring everything, you will be dead."

Ridley covered her face with one of her hands and let out a bitter laugh. She looked back up at her two companions and laughed bitterly. "You know what? Fuck it. I don't care anymore."

"Ridley-"

She cut Pogue off with a shake of her head and held out her hand. A bottle materialized and she took a long gulp. "No, I'm tired of feeling like shit about everything. So, I'm done. You can tell all of them to have fun fighting their own little fuckin' war. I'm out."

"You don't get to be 'out', Ridley, that's not how it works," Pogue snapped. Ridley literally laughed in his face. "Oh, I don't? No, you're right; I don't."

She started to back up and held up her hands in a defensive manner. "No, I just get to have hundreds of men eye me like a piece of meat, get my ass grabbed hundreds of times-do you know how many of them have tried to shove me up against a wall? And you want me to pick one of them to lead? You want me to pick one of those selfish bastards to lead our pack and just take over like that? They want me, but they don't want me."

She gestured up and down to herself. "They want this. And I get that because that's all anyone's ever wanted. But I'm done giving it to anybody. I'm fucking done."

Having said her piece, Ridley turned on her heel and started to stalk away. Burko started forward and Pogue stopped him with a hand. "Let her go, man. She just needs some time."

Reid watched the two wander back into Nicky's. He looked over at his friend and said in a voice that left no room for argument, "You go on back in. I'm gonna follow. Just to make sure she's okay."

Tyler rolled his eyes and did as Reid said. Reid looked back toward the direction Ridley had headed. He was halfway through the parking lot when someone slammed into him from behind, pinning him up against the side of one of the cars in the lot. They let go abruptly and Reid turned around,, already on the defensive. Ridley glowered at him with narrowed eyes. "Why are you following me?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay."

Ridley smirked cruelly. "I can take care of myself. I don't need you."

Reid didn't no how to respond to that. Ridley snorted and held the bottle up to her lips. "And I think we both know you've made it perfectly clear that you don't need me, so, I'll ask again. Why are you following me?"

When he didn't answer, she smirked. "That's what I thought," she said bitterly as she backed away, her shining eyes becoming dull and lifeless. "Just stay away from me, Reid. Just stay away."

Nobody saw Ridley for three days after that and he was beginning to worry that something had happened. He managed to corner Aaron in the locker room after swim practice one afternoon, but Aaron was reluctant to offer any explanation for her disappearance. But Reid was just as stubborn. Finally, after several tries Aaron said, "Look, Garwin, she's fine. She'll be back by the end of the week."

"If she's fine, why isn't she here?"

Someone slammed their locker shut behind him and he turned to find Pogue staring down at him threateningly. "Leave it alone, Reid."

"What's going on," Tyler asked, pushing between the two in order to avoid a fight. Reid shoved away from the three. "Nothing, Baby boy, let's go."

Pogue and Aaron continued to stare after the pair before looking at one another knowingly. Pogue was the first to speak. "How long will it last?"

Aaron shrugged. "It could last a week, maybe a couple days longer, but she'll be fine. It's just a matter of keeping her away from everyone until it's over."

Pogue ran a hand over his face. "But this will happen again, won't it?"

"Every month like clockwork," Aaron said, laughing. He noticed Pogue's worried expression and patted his back. "It's not so bad, you get used to these kind of things when you're around it long enough. It still happens to my Mom sometimes."

Pogue sighed and rubbed at his face a bit more. "God, and I thought life was complicated before."

Aaron laughed and the two left the locker room together. As the door shut, Caleb came out from behind a row of lockers, frowning. What had they meant? Something was obviously wrong with Ridley. As he left the locker room, Caleb mulled over the events of the past year. It had all been building up to this. Everything they had all been through had been building up to what Ridley was currently going through and they had abandoned her. He, Reid, Tyler, Kate, and Sarah had abandoned their friend. Pogue it seemed was the only one who stuck by her. Realizing this, Caleb felt terrible.

Chase had done more damage than he realized. They had been so preoccupied with keeping themselves out of harm's way, they'd forgotten that they needed to defend one another-no matter what. Outside Spenser's Caleb caught sight of Pogue and Kate. Deciding then would be as good a time as any to start trying to figure out how to help Ridley, he started walking in their general direction. Caleb stopped short when he noticed the upset and angry look on Kate's face and the solemn yet apologetic look on Pogue's. Kate shoved Pogue hard in the chest. Caleb could hear her yelling, but he couldn't make out the words. It took him a second to realize she was crying. Pogue grabbed a hold of her then and pulled her into his arms. Kate struggled against him, beating her hands against his chest until she finally settled down.

However, whatever it was Pogue had told her, had to have been big because after a few moments, Kate pushed herself away from Pogue. When he tried to reach for her again, she smacked his hand away and stalked off toward the dorms.

Something was definitely going on and Caleb was going to find out.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between updates. Life came calling, and I had to answer. Please review. All criticism is welcome and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	30. Perceptions

**I own nothing but the OCs I've created...but I wouldn't mind owning the Sons of Ipswich.  
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"You know," Burko said as he leaned around the bookcase he was perusing to look at his sister, "he's still watching out for you."

Ridley placed the book she was holding back in its place. She was looking for something in particular. "Too bad, so sad. He's the one who can't commit."

"Yeah, but he's the one who gets to watch you die again," Burko replied, adding hastily, "I mean, if things don't go our way."

"I would care, but I can't," Ridley sighed, pulling out another well worn tome from the dustier stacks near the top, "I don't have time to care. I have the talent show to finish up arranging, midterms that need to be passed, essays that need to be written, and impending doom I need to avoid. I've just now gotten over the fact that my life right up until Adam was completely fabricated. I'm still having trouble sorting out which memories are real and which ones aren't. Hell, I don't even know if what happened between me and Reid was ever real."

Burko studied his sister for a moment, brow furrowing in concern. "Is that why you're letting him walk away? You don't think it was real?"

"Maybe," she said finally, looking around the large bookcases. "It felt real. But it didn't feel...right. It felt like we were pushing toward something that wasn't there yet-more my fault than his, I guess. But I remember thinking that even if it wasn't real, it was the one thing I wanted more than anything. Even when I was miserable with him, I was happier than when I was without him."

Burko stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "Ridley, sometimes I think nothing is ever right because it's not supposed to be right. It just is, things just happen to be this way. Us being wolves, might not be right. The guys having powers might not be right. But it still _is_. And it's what we do with it that makes it right."

Ridley nodded her head and gave him a small smile. "You always were the smarter one." Her smile dropped as she continued, "But I think maybe, he was never supposed to wait for me." Ridley could feel the tears as they began to pool in her eyes. "I want him more than anything and I love him so much that it feels like I'm is being ripped apart, but I want him to have a life. I want him to be with someone who isn't going to put him in constant danger, someone who doesn't have an expiration date. I want him to be happy and I don't think he can have that with me."

"Who's to say he can't," Burko questioned, "say you do die and he does move on. Who's to say she'll feel the same way about him that you do? Who's to say she'll love him enough to put him before herself? Who's to say she's worthy of living your life? Because that's what you're suggesting. I can hear it in your voice. You're talking about giving up."

"It's too much!"

"And it always will be," Burko hissed back, ignoring the tears that streaked down her face. "Life is the war we wage with death. It's why we fight each day to live it to the fullest. If we don't, it's gone and there's nothing left to look forward to. There's no laughter, no tears, no yelling, no fighting, no pain. There's just nothing. And even the pain is better than the nothing. And you know it."

They stood in silence together. Ridley looked down at the floor. "I'll fight. I'll live. But once it's over, I'm leaving."

"Ridley-"

"No, Burko," she interrupted, "I need you to listen to me. I'll live. I'll make it through. I always do. But once it's finished, once this whole thing is over, I'm gone. And I'm not leaving because I'm scared or because I can't deal. I'm leaving because it's what's best. With me gone, things around here will calm down and people can live normal lives. The way they should."

"Your crystal ball tell you that," he asked heatedly, "because unless you can see the future, too, I have to say I think you're going a little too far with this."

"Besides," Ridley muttered, continuing as if her brother hadn't just spoken, "Reid will be fine." She steadied herself with a deep breath and plastered a smile smile on her face that she hoped was both reassuring and content. "I mean, I'm sure he'll find someone."

"I don't know," Burko responded skeptically, "I don't think you realize the effect you had on him. Guys aren't like girls, Rid. When they fall for someone, they fall hard and sometimes, they don't get back up."

* * *

"I hate my life and I want to die," Reid groaned as he fell back on his bed. "Seriously, I have to be the stupidest person in the world. I can see it now: _'Here lies Reid Garwin, whose decision making skills led him to this hole in the ground'."_

Tyler looked up from his place at his desk and shot Reid a look. "I don't think your mother will put that on your tombstone."

Reid sat up slightly to look at him. "But you think I'm gonna die young? Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"As you said before, you are the stupidest person in the world," Tyler replied absently as he continued his homework dutifully, "I mean, you had the girl of your dreams-"

"-I didn't know she was until-"

"-and you totally treat her like dirt. Then you mope around about not having her, which leads to you antagonizing her by sleeping with her sister-"

"-I was confused and she wasn't giving me the time of day-"

"-then when you finally do get her back, you find out you have to actually fight for her to keep her, and you chicken out and bail-"

"Hey," Reid snapped, "I did not chicken out!"

"Yeah, you did," Tyler argued back, "it's what you do every time you actually have to work for something. You dropped Art once you found out you had to actually make something in that class and you only had to complete one project. How is that not chickening out?"

"I'm not very artistic," Reid mumbled grumpily. "And do you blame me? This whole thing with her is a lot to handle. She's a werewolf, Tyler. Borderline bestiality!"

"Unless you fuck her while she's an actual wolf, I don't think it counts as such...and right now, you're just trying to justify fucking up."

"Oh, so, you're saying you'd have gone through with it," Reid shot back challengingly. Tyler set his pen down and turned around in his chair completely to level his serious gaze on his roommate. "If she'd picked me? Yeah, I would have." They stared at one another in silence; Reid was too shocked to speak. Tyler turned back around and hunched over his desk, a clear sign he was finished talking about the subject, "everything that girl has ever done, has been about you or for you or to get over you. In some small way, it's always been about you. And you don't deserve any of it."

"But-"

"Reid, I can't talk about this with you," Tyler said in a dangerously low voice, pausing as he spoke, "talking about this with you, only makes me hate you."

"Tyler," Reid began slowly, gauging his friend's reaction. Tyler inclined his head to the side, indicating he was indeed listening. "I'm really sorry."

"If you were really sorry, you'd grow a pair," Tyler snapped, "you'd stop dicking around, get your shit together, and fix things instead of making them worse. This whole mess is ruining everyone's lives. Pogue and Kate are fighting, Caleb's about to have an aneurysm from all the stress he's under trying to figure out how in hell we're supposed to help Ridley, which is in turn stressing Sarah out so much her hair's starting to fall out, eight of the new students have been suspended for having a brawl-a fucking _brawl_- in the cafeteria, Martin's dead, Nicky's thinking about closing up shop and moving to St. Tropez, Aaron got jumped in the school parking lot a couple nights ago, and what are you doing? Sitting on your ass bitching about how everyone else's life and death problems are inconveniencing you. Grow up!"

"But I don't know what to do!"

"Whatever it takes. Same with everything else in life." Tyler gathered his books and started toward the door. "I'll be in the library."

* * *

Ridley had never had so much fun at Nicky's in her entire life. She'd met some girl named Mona. She had the greenest eyes Ridley had ever seen and her hair reminded her of sunlight. She smelled...different, as well. But what was so fun about Mona was her friend, or whatever he was, Cyrus, simply because in many ways, he reminded her of Reid. He was predatory in his actions and he was always smirking. And when he spoke, it was solely to get a reaction out of Mona; whether it was positive or negative. It didn't help that he had the same flaxen hair color and pale complexion as Reid either. His amber eyes were every bit as entrancing.

She didn't understand how Mona could bear to look into them without being completely captivated, but Mona acted for all the world as if she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. She acted as if he appalled her on every level possible. Cyrus responded in much the same way half the time, making sure to throw every conceivable barb possible at the poor girl, who took his stinging comments with ease. It was apparent that they had known one another for quite some time.

What was so remarkable about the two, was the incredible amount of tension that sizzled between them. It was as if they were magnets, drawn to one another through supernatural force rather than mutual attraction. It seemed that Cyrus was more aware of the fact than Mona. Cyrus spent much of the time at a table far enough away from the crowd that he could drink himself into a stupor with a modicum of peace while he watched Mona dance on the small dance floor like a wild-woman. It didn't escape Ridley's attention that every so often he would tilt his head to the side and study her with some knowingly affectionate smile.

What puzzled her about Cyrus was the way he smelled. He smelled strange. Death and life all wrapped up in one singular package. It was as if the two had merged into his being and she couldn't figure it out. Pogue and Aaron had wasted no time in warning her away from him; he was trouble. Ridley had to agree. He was trouble. She'd caught the two fighting behind Nicky's earlier in the evening. Mona had called him an uber creep and he'd called her a tarted up tease devoid of any intelligible thought. Mona had promptly punched him in the jaw and he'd slammed her into the wall. There had been something about the heat in the argument that had stopped Ridley from interfering. All the pain they inflicted on one another-both emotional and physical-had seemed superficial. It was like watching two wary animals circle each other in some strange mating ritual that the wolf in her simply did not understand.

What was even more fascinating was Caleb's response to the pair. The moment they'd stepped into Nicky's Caleb had withdrawn from everyone. He'd eyed Cyrus whenever the blond was within eyesight and he outright stared at Mona as if he knew her. But he'd mentioned never having met her before. Ridley believed him. He was the most honest individual she'd ever met. But it didn't explain the faint hum she felt that flowed between him and Mona constantly. They never spoke to one another, but Ridley could feel it and she could tell by the murderous look on Cyrus' face whenever he made eye contact with Caleb, that he was aware of it as well. It was clear that Cyrus wanted nothing to do with the Ipswich crowd; he was merely there for Mona's sake.

Ridley was so enthralled with the three's interactions (or lack there of) with one another, that it completely overshadowed her own battles with what she was becoming. It was the perfect distraction from the catastrophe that was her life and she loved it. And it was clear to her that some of the other wolves who had migrated to Ipswich were just as interested as her, though some of their reactions to the newest members of Ipswich were less welcoming. But for now, the pressure was off and she wasn't being goaded into choosing a mate. While it wasn't exactly healthy for her to be stalking some random couple she'd spotted at Nicky's, it seemed a lot more healthy than drowning her sorrows in vodka.

But it also kept her wolf fixated in a less than comforting way. At first, she had assumed it was because they were such an oddity in Ipswich. Cyrus embodied violence, destruction, mayhem. He was chaos. There was something beautiful and methodic about him. And Mona was both his contrast and complement, which confused her. Mona was soft, innocent in her approach. She was tactless, yet kind. She was neat and confident and smart and witty and caring. Still, there was something there that Ridley could sense. It crawled and slithered under the girl's skin. There were shadows in her that spoke of suffering and horror and Ridley wanted to bathe in them.

Ridley was pulled from her musings when she someone plopped a beer down in front of her and then lit her cigarette. She raised an eyebrow as Cyrus settled on the stool next to her. He half grinned half smirked at her. "I thought you could use the company. It seems your guard dogs have both run off. Thought you might want a bit of company." He leaned in closer. "What with you burning holes in the side of my head and whatnot."

Ridley was surprised at the mild blush that suffused her cheeks. "I'm sorry. It's just that newcomers tend to be the most interesting thing here."

"Really," he asked, smirking, "in what way?"

Realizing it would sound more than a little weird if she were to admit that the way they smelled kept her up half the night trying to figure out what it was, she wisely chose to conceal the fact. "Well, Ipswich is usually boring and I like having something new to look at." She looked up at him slyly, the mischief alight in her eyes. "And I've never met an Englishman before you."

"Really," he asked, feigning surprise, "I'm the first one you've run across?"

When she nodded and laughed a little, he leaned closer. "Well, isn't that something."

"I would say so," she replied, taking a sip from her beer. She wrinkled her nose at the fumes it put off. Cyrus caught her expression and smiled. Something about the way he looked at her just then told her that he found her reaction almost endearing. "Not one for alcohol I see."

She shot him a wry smile. "Just beer."

"Don't drink it."

"And pass up a free drink," she asked, "not on your life, Buddy."

He grinned largely at that, almost as if there was something in her words that he found highly comical. "Then drink up. The night's young and it looks like you could use a bit of fun."

Their conversation was easy and it took Ridley several minutes to realize Mona had long disappeared, which she found quite odd. But Cyrus seemed oblivious. She told him about Spensers and Ipswich and Burko and Reid. He talked about New York City and some little town in Delaware he'd been to recently that he had been 'stuck' in for several weeks. Cyrus was worldly. He'd been to several different countries. There was a deep restlessness about him that Ridley could sense and it was tinged with newly present pain and grief, as if some recent tragedy had aggravated his restlessness further.

It was late when the two left Nicky's, choosing to travel together rather than alone. Ridley hadn't exactly been keen on the idea of being escorted home by both Pogue and Aaron yet again. She had wolf in her now; she could handle anything.

When Cyrus had asked if she'd like to leave with him, Ridley didn't even stop to think about it. She slid right off the bar stool and up to Cyrus' side, ignoring the curious yet penetrating stare he tried to pin her with. As they stepped out into the cold, he handed her a flask. Ridley sniffed at it. Satisfied that it was merely alcohol-which had not been drugged-she took a sip, letting the beverage burn its way down her throat to settle in her stomach. By the time they'd reached what she assumed was the car, she'd downed the entire contents of the flask and her vision was fuzzy at the edges. Her skin was on fire and everything tingled. She felt good.

It felt as though the feeling was ripped away a moment later. Everything felt hard and cool and Ridley fought to push herself up. The cold was staring to get to her and she felt highly exposed. As her eyes focused, Ridley realized something. She was completely naked. "Aw, shit," she grumbled as she sat up fully and gripped her head in her hands. She tried to look around herself and felt the motion hurt her head a little too much. Covering her face with both hands, Ridley whined out, "Pogue and Aaron are going to kill me."

Feeling something brush against her naked thigh, Ridley jumped slightly and slowly turned. She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her. Ridley stared slack-jawed at Cyrus, who was both sprawled out under the same blanket as herself. And he looked pretty naked as well. Ridley lifted the blanket the slightest bit and then dropped it when her suspicions were confirmed. She blushed crimson when she realized that if the two of them were naked, sprawled out all over one another, then that meant one thing. Ridley squeaked in horror and whipped back around.

_What the hell is wrong with me_, she screamed at herself mentally as she tried to figure out a way to escape her current situation, _why can't I ever just keep my legs closed?_

"You know," a masculine voice said behind her, causing her to cringe, "I've been with all sorts of creepy-crawlies in my time."

Ridley turned to look at Cyrus. He sat up and pulled his discarded pair of pants over to himself, rooting around in one of the pockets for his lighter. He lit the cigarette dangling from his lips and smirked at her. "But you're the first werewolf I've ever tangled with." Her jaw had dropped again. Cyrus tilted his head to the side and grinned at her. "What? You thought I didn't know? Please, I sniffed you out immediately."

Ridley jumped up quickly and began pulling on her clothes as fast as possible. He looked at her pointedly then. "Which wasn't easy considering this town is positively crawling with the furry little wankers."

Ridley squinted at him and pursed her lips in aggravation, arms crossed against her chest. "Unbelievable. Definitely should have stayed at Nicky's."

"What? So you could get pawed by some lowlife beta with delusions of grandeur," he scoffed, holding the cigarette out toward her. She shook her head and he shrugged, taking another drag. "I did you a favor."

"Of course you did," Ridley spat back caustically, "because getting a girl liquored up so you can have your way with her is definitely on par with the Good Samaritan."

He studied her for a moment, his expression appraising. "No wonder she likes you."

"Who?"

"You wouldn't know her," he replied evasively, waving her off. "Just someone I met a while back. Told me I needed to fix some things."

"By having sex with a total stranger," Ridley laughed disbelievingly, "or is this some weird supernatural thing? Because you people sure do heap on the vagueness."

"People are only cryptic because the truth has a way of foiling things," he responded in a tone that was far from defensive. His manner was downright matter-of-fact at the moment. "You know, you have a lot of people gunning for you and you're of better use to me alive. You're of better use to her alive. With you around, the world is different."

"How?"

He was silent for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not he was saying too much. "Because if you're here, it changes everything."

Ridley stared back, annoyed. "Wow, the amount of information you managed to not give me just then, is astounding." She threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I'm even surprised!"

Cyrus watched her go as she stormed out, eyebrow raised in both annoyance and amusement. "You know, you shouldn't have done that last night," he said, finishing off his cigarette. "I don't think she remembers seeing you, though, so I suppose no harm was done. Just what did you think you were doing anyways?"

Mona sauntered over to the bed, shrugging. "What? Just because things are the way they are, doesn't mean I can't have fun. And since you won't let me go..."

Cyrus scowled up at her from his position on the bed. "You know I can't. None of it turned out right. I have to make it right."

"You know you'll only cause more problems," Mona replied, sitting on the foot of the bed. "I'm gone for a reason. They're not supposed to win for a reason. We're messing with something that's bigger than us-bigger than all of us. Altering reality, even the slightest bit, is dangerous and you know it."

"I'm doing it for you," he snarled, ripping the sheets away from his body so that he could pace the floor, "everything I do is for you!"

"You got inside where you don't belong. I don't know how you did it, but you did," he accused, pointing at her with a shaky hand, "you think I want this? You think I relish the idea of walking the earth over with your ghost trailing beside me? Taunting me, teasing me, tempting me with things I can never have?" He stopped to look at her then, his eyes murderous. "You think I like looking at you? You think I like seeing what you see in me? I hate myself because of you! I want to rip your throat out and bathe in your blood, but I can't," he kicked a chair across the darkened room, "I can't because you're already dead!"

* * *

A/N: I know that nothing has really been resolved in this chapter, and I know it's really overwhelming that I've introduced two new characters this late in the story, without really explaining what's going on. I'm vague like that, sorry. But I do answer questions my readers have. So, if you want to PM simply to ask what the hell is going on, I'd be happy to explain as best I can without giving anything away. As for the two new characters, they're there to help in a sense. All I can say, is while their intentions are less than noble they're here to stay. They will be major character in my sequel, which I am slowly working out. As I've said in a previous Author's Note, everyone will have someone by the end of the series. Getting back to the sequel, while I am indeed getting somewhere with it, I would like some input as to what I have worked out, so I'm looking for someone loyal to the covenant fandom who would be willing to to listen to all the crap I have planned and doesn't mind a few spoilers for this story being thrown in their face. If you don't like spoilers, then this probably isn't the job for you. If you do, PM me and I'll give you what I have planned out so far, which is pretty freaking out there, but I think it works.


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